Alex Kynaston
My practice is born of dualities. At its core is an antagonism between self-censorship and a compulsion to expose myself to discomfort. My methodology follows the alchemical notion of ‘sublation’, where gas moves straight to a solid-state, but for me it’s where ideas move to external reality with as little interference in transit as possible. At the same time, my practice is firmly grounded in the historical context of the ‘sublime’, a converse alchemical term that has come to describe a genre of painting where intense feelings of fear and disgust are accompanied by awe and euphoria. Constantly teetering between these extreme emotions leads to an aesthetic appreciation of my Melbourne context that is tethered to a sense of the uncanny. Moving back to the city after living in Canada and New Zealand, I experience melancholy and grief for places I no longer recognise and so making art is a way to create a new connection with my surroundings. My aim in painting landscapes and portraits specific to Melbourne is to inspire local audiences to reflect on their own personal attachment to the city and foster an appreciation of its unique sublime.
Kitchen with View, 2020
Oil on canvas
910mm x 610mm x 18mm
Delilah Demon, 2020
Photoshop of acrylic, ink and oil on canvas
610mm x 910mm x 18mm
Sisters, 2020
Acrylic and oil on canvas
760mm x 610mm x 18mm
Untitled, 2020
Acrylic and oil on canvas
900mm x 1200mm x 20mm
Chores, 2020
Acrylic, ink and oil on canvas
762mm x 1016mm x 18mm
Nightmare, 2020
Acrylic and oil on unstretched canvas
1100mm x 1300mm x 2mm
Sascha and Em Installation View, 2020
Photograph of two oil paintings on canvas