Elemental Transmissions is a solo exhibition of new work by Alex Markwith created for Laterna Magica. On view from January 13 – 30, the exhibition includes installation pieces, works on paper and wall-hung assemblages which combine aspects of painting and sculpture while incorporating found materials.
Browse the exhibition catalogue here.
Tree branches, cut plywood, chains, plastic, metal, tape, fabric and concrete are collaged together in irregular compositions. Different characteristics of chosen materials result in a play of opposites - natural vs. man-made, light vs. heavy, hard vs. soft, masculine vs. feminine – orchestrated playfully and experimentally within each work to create a sense of unbalanced order. Primarily abstract, many pieces resemble totemic structures. They relate to the human body through their scale, and flirt with representation via recognizable components which occasionally appear unobscured.
This series was created alongside the artists’ investigation into alchemy and the classical elements. The concept of “transmission” or “transition” refers to the new patterns of thought brought on by the changing year as well as the artist’s change of environment. As we leave 2020 behind, there is a longing for a better future which can be likened to the desired alchemical change of transmuting a lesser metal into gold.
Alex Markwith (b. 1988, Kingston, PA) is an American visual artist based in Helsinki, Finland, where he moved in September 2020 after living and working for nine years in New York City. He holds a BFA in Painting from Rhode Island School of Design and is a member of Taidemaalariliito. His works are included in numerous private collections, as well as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (TX).
Elemental Transmissions is the artist's first solo exhibition in Finland and is supported by funds from Taike.
Take a tour in the exhibition:
Work above Alex Markwith:Totem with Blue, 2020
