Artist Alex Hirsch, a native of Chicago, Illinois and resident of Portland, Oregon, paints gorgeous watercolors and works in fused glass. Her visually seductive compositions combine fabulous color and texture with minimalistic imagery to evoke mood, emotion and atmosphere. Much of the work hovers between illusionistic and atmospheric space. Each series varies in tone and subject matter. Multiple trips to Hawaii yielded paintings that were dramatic in their color and movement. A quiet palette with peaceful brushwork and soothing coastal imagery characterizes the ocean series. Its subtle tonalities can mislead people into thinking the paintings are photographic. Travel, public events and personal interests move the work over time. Her current series features dry pigment, watercolors, inks and leaf on paper. The brooding suite of images uses the environment as a vehicle to explore perception.
Ms. Hirsch’s glass works echo similar preoccupations in a robust, light transmitting medium. The commission work, however, is motivated primarily by the particulars of the site, client and audience. Winter 2009, Alex completed a commission that functions as doors while working as a glass painting. In 2007, she executed an ambitious architectural, art glass privacy screen for Oregon Health & Science University (Portland, Oregon). The previous year, Bullseye Glass selected her work for the Newcomer Award during their juried, international biennial exhibition emerge. The June, 2008 issue of Watercolor Artist explores her multidisciplinary practice.
Trained at the University of Michigan and Washington University, Ms. Hirsch’s work is rooted in intellectual curiosity and philosophical exploration. She tempers her own tendency toward seriousness with playfulness whether in her work or in the world. Visually, the works dance on the line of abstraction, fluctuating between identifiable references and non-objective abstraction. This work is enjoyable on many levels. Whether educated in the visual arts or not, people find they enjoy the work visually, emotionally, intellectually, or technically. She exhibits her work in galleries and international art fairs throughout the United States. Nationally and internationally, her art is in many private, pubic and corporate collections including the United States Embassy (Bulgaria), US Aid (Uganda), Hallmark Corporation (Kansas) and Umpqua Bank (Oregon). Ms. Hirsch maintains a studio in Portland, Oregon where she serves on college faculties. Her work is currently represented by Printworks Gallery in Chicago, Illinois.
Website
http://www.alexhirschart.com/
