"In my latest series of works, I explore the visual and pictorial nature of randomness and order, and the tension between the two. Intrigued by the complexity of the human body, I've built a collection of drawing and painting studies, photographs and found images that I compiles together in order to create and transcend figurative scenes and compositions in my paintings.
In the Figure Strips series my artistic process is based on the idea of sequence and repetition. After selecting a series of four or five figures, I use an algorithm (randomizer) in order to create a number of additional variations within the series, accepting the results of randomization process as is, without modification and alteration. Each new varion and repeat creates its own visual narrative thus modifying and completing the final composition. More than photography and painting, this entire creative process is compulsive and yet meticulous.
I'm inspired by and use conceptual elements of Eadweard Muybridge’s work on animal and human locomotion, modern and contemporary Berlin architecture, and the chaotic and unpredictable nature of today's life. For theFigure Stripsseries, I decided to push forward the experiment with movement and repetition, using long strips, cutouts and rolls of wallpaper. The three paintings Checkers, The Narratives andThe Fields of Glory are primarily depicting series of human figures on an abstract or factory printed background. Even if the aesthetic is mainly figurative, I don't hesitate to crop and to dismantle. The bodies are becoming graphic elements, combinations of black lines and layers of colors, as we can see in The Longest Ever.
As in the real life, we can’t predict what will happen next, even if we want to control everything. At best, we can guess."
Education:
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA, USA 1996
New York Academy of Art, New York, NY, USA 2000 MFA
Alex Storonkin is currently living and working in Berlin, Germany.