STEVEN ALEXANDER

Born 1953

Lives and works in West Abington, Pennsylvania, USA

Steven Alexander is an American artist who makes abstract paintings characterized by luminous color, sensuous surfaces and iconic configurations. His works are composed as sensate visual events that embody potential states of being. They invite meditative encounters with the viewer's perception and imagination.

Employing uncomplicated geometric structures that are activated by color, Alexander creates ambiguous metaphorical spaces. His compositions mirror the viewer, alluding to rhythms, tensions and dualities of the body and the psyche. The surfaces of Alexander's paintings are constructed from many thin layers of acrylic and oil paint to achieve a flesh-like suppleness infused with undertones and overtones of translucent color.

Born in 1953 in west Texas, Alexander spent his early years observing the vast skies and flat expanses of the southwest plains. He moved to New York in 1975, completing an MFA in painting at Columbia University, where he studied with Richard Pousette-Dart and Dore Ashton.

Alexander's work has been widely exhibited, including recent solo exhibitions at Spanierman Modern in New York, David Findlay Jr Gallery in New York, Gremillion & Co. Fine Art in Houston, and David Richard Gallery in Santa Fe, as well as numerous curated group exhibitions and art fairs throughout the United States and abroad.

A member of the American Abstract Artists group in New York, he has been awarded grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and the Belin Foundation, a studio residency at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, and many public commissions.

Alexander has been artist-in-residence at Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy, visiting artist at Parsons School for Design and Bowdoin College, and was Professor of Visual Arts at Marywood University. He maintains a home and studio in the hills of eastern Pennsylvania.

 

EDUCATION

1977  Columbia University, New York, MFA

1975  Austin College, Sherman, Texas, BA

 

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2020  Spanierman Modern, Miami, Chroma Consciousness (upcoming)

2018  Spanierman Modern, New York, Call and Response

2017  The Curator Gallery, New York, Places To Be

           Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Efforts of Affection - A Decade of Painting

2016  David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York, Recent Paintings

2015  Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Manifest

2013  David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe, Slave to Love

           Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Terraplane

2012  David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York, Recent Paintings 

2010  Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Brooks Run to the Ocean... 

           Morpeth Contemporary Gallery, Hopewell, NJ, Paintings

           Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Dallas, Vibrolux       

2007  Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, World At Large

2006  Test Pattern Gallery, Scranton, Echo Systems

2004  Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Terra Sutra

2002  Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, As What Is

2001  Mahady Contemporary Gallery, Marywood University, Scranton, The Belin Project

           Gremillion Gallery, Austin, Andalucia

2000  Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Notes From Toscana

1999  AFA Gallery, Scranton, Recent Paintings

1997  Suraci Gallery, Marywood University, Scranton, Figure Paintings

1995  Kings College, Wilkes Barre, Paintings

1994  Roxx Gallery, Baltimore, Paintings

1992  Amdur Gallery, Austin, Recent Paintings

1986  Waterfront Studio, Brooklyn, Collages

1978  P.S. 1, Long Island City, Monks & Crows, studio installation

1977  Columbia University Campus Sites, New York, 3 Outdoor Situations

 

TWO & THREE PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2019  Spanierman Modern, Miami, Color, Pattern, Texture, Shape: Steven Alexander, Louise P. Sloan, & Heidi Spector

2016  ICON Contemporary, Brunswick, ME, Laura Duerwald & Steven Alexander

2014  David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York, Steven Alexander, Barbara Grad, Logan Grider

2013  David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York, Steven Alexander, Logan Grider, Robert Reed

2011  Heidi Cho Gallery, New York, Steven Alexander & Taro Suzuki: Paintings

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2021 Salon Style, TEW Galleries, Atlanta, GA

2020  Art On Paper New York 2020, Spanierman Modern, New York/Miami

           Kenise Barnes Fine Art, Larchmont, NY, 2020 Vision

           Spanierman Modern, Miami, Abstract Allegories           

           GCC Arte Contemporaneo, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, Gran Inauguracion

           Transmitter Gallery, Brooklyn, Digital: AAA Prints 2012-2019

2019  Galerie Biesenbach, Cologne, Small World

           Texas Contemporary 2019, Houston, Spanierman Modern, New York/Miami

           Seattle Art Fair, Spanierman Modern, New York/Miami

           Art On Paper New York 2019, Spanierman Modern, New York/Miami

           Corey Daniels Gallery, Wells, ME, Flux

           Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Chroma

2018  Art Miami, Spanierman Modern, New York/Miami

           Kathryn Markel Fine Art, New York, Shaping

           Sponder Gallery, Boca Raton, Think Pink II

           Spanierman Modern, Miami, Inaugural Group

           Seattle Art Fair, Spanierman Modern, New York  

           Art On Paper New York 2018, Spanierman Modern, New York

           Galerie Biesenbach, Cologne, Juxtaposition

           Corey Daniels Gallery, Wells, ME, 2018 Season Opener

           The Curator Gallery, New York, Louder Than Bombs (Curated by Douglas Witmer)

           Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Sponder Gallery, Boca Raton/Miami

2017  Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Summer Group

           Art Palm Beach, Sponder Gallery, Boca Raton/Miami

           Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary, Sponder Gallery, Boca Raton/Miami

2016  The Curator Gallery, New York, Artists of the Year

           Glassell Gallery, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Painting Color (Curated by Susan Bonfils)

           Art Concept: Miami, Baker Sponder Gallery, Boca Raton/Miami

           Shirley Fiterman Art Center, New York, Chromatic Space (Curated by Jonathan Lippincott)

           Boeckercontemporary, Heidelberg, Germany, Fiction (Curated by Jeffrey Cortland Jones)

           Divisible, Dayton, OH, Louder Than Bombs (Curated by Douglas Witmer)

           1285 Avenue of the Americas Gallery, New York, The Onward of Art (Curated by Karen Wilkin)

           Abrons Arts Center, New York, Visible Histories (Curated by Max Weintraub)

           David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York, Selections

           Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn, Sideshow Nation IV - Thru the Rabbit Hole

2015  David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York, SummerSet

           The Curator Gallery, New York, Some Assembly Required (Curated by Mark Wethli)

           Dallas Art Fair, David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe

           Art Wynwood/Miami, David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York

           Janet Kurnatowski Gallery, Brooklyn, Paperazzi 4

           Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn, Sideshow Nation III: Circle the Wagons

2014  Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn, To Leo, A Tribute from the American Abstract Artists

           David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe, Holiday Group Show

           David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York, SummerSet 2014

           Janet Kurnatowski Gallery, Brooklyn, Paperazzi 3

           Art Wynwood/Miami, David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe

           Dallas Art Fair, David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe

           Art Miami, David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe

2013  Janet Kurnatowski Gallery, Brooklyn, Paperazzi 2

2012  David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York, SummerSet 2012

           Gremillion & Co Fine Art, Houston, 20 Artists

           Janet Kurnatowski Gallery, Brooklyn, Paperazzi

2011  David Findlay Jr Fine Art, New York, SummerSet

           Crane Arts Center, Philadelphia, American Abstract Artists: Abstraction∞

           McKenzie Fine Art, New York, Plane Speaking

           Janet Kurnatowski Gallery, Brooklyn, Paper 2011

           R&F Gallery, Kingston, NY, Conversations

2010  Salao de Artes, Galeria Murilo Castro, Sao Paulo, Brazil

           Heidi Cho Gallery, New York, As You Like It - Part II

           Janet Kurnatowski Gallery, Brooklyn, Paper Works

           David Richard Contemporary, Santa Fe, Op, Pop & Geo Again

           Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, Geometric Themes and Variations

           Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Works On Paper

2009  Denise Bibro Platform, New York, Blogpix (Curated by Joanne Mattera)

           Gallery OneTwentyEight, New York, Geometrics II (Curated by Gloria Klein)

           Heidi Cho Gallery, New York, Project Room

           Pocket Utopia, Brooklyn, 246 Editions

2007  SACI Gallery, Florence, Italy, Invitational

2006  Scope/Miami, Heidi Cho Gallery, New York

           Heidi Cho Gallery, New York, summer group

2004  Heidi Cho Gallery, New York, summer group

2003  Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, Forty

2001  Institute for International Education, New York, invitational

1999  Gremillion Gallery, Austin, Inaugural Exhibition

1998  Everhart Museum, Scranton, Art X 12

1996  The Painting Center, New York, National Juried Show

1994  Takasaki Art Center College, Takasaki, Japan, Strength In Diversity

1993  Inman Gallery, Houston, Small Works Invitational

1992  Janus Gallery, Santa Fe, gallery group

           D-Art Visual Arts Center, Dallas, 1992 Critic's Choice

1991  Sena Galleries, Santa Fe, Summer Invitational

1990  Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, Austin Annual

1989  Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, Austin Annual

1975  Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth, Tarrant County Annual

1974  Oklahoma Art Museum, Oklahoma City, Eight State Biennial

           Art Museum of South Texas, Port Arthur, Five State Annual

 

AWARDS & HONORS 

2015  Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant

2014  American Abstract Artists, New York, Elected Member

2013  Liberty Mutual Building, Boston, Commission

2012  Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Austin, Commission

2010  Marywood University, Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Discipline Field

2009  Studio Art Centers International, Florence, Artist-In-Residence

2008  Hines Building, New York, Commission

           MD Anderson Medical Center, Houston, Commission

2002  Mercedes Benz Corporation, USA, Commission

2000  Belin Foundation Grant for Painting

1984  P.S. 122, New York, Studio Residency

1977-78  P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, Studio Residency

 

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston

Burns & Levinson, Boston

Compaq Computer, Houston

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Austin

Ewing Gallery, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Hines Interests, New York

Liberty Mutual, Boston

Mercedes Benz Corporation, USA

MD Anderson Medical Center, Houston

Moffett Nathanson Research, New York

Mountain View College, Dallas

Preferred Capitol, Tahoe City

Orion, Houston

Trammell Crow, Dallas

United Airlines, Houston

United Airlines, Newark

And numerous private collections worldwide

 

TEW Collections:

Robert & Marsha Jones, Santa Fe, NM

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

2016  STEVEN ALEXANDER: PAINTINGS, Interview by Vered Lieb, 48 pages, 24 color plates, hardcover, published by David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York

2013  MORMAÇO: Poems of Lêdo Ivo, Paintings by Steven Alexander, 224 pages, 42 color plates, published by Contra Capa Livraria LTDA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2013  STEVEN ALEXANDER: TERRAPLANE, Essay by Eric Holzman, 48 pages, 24 color plates, published by Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston

2010  STEVEN ALEXANDER: BROOKS RUN TO THE OCEAN..., Essay by Kate Beck, 28 pages, 18 color plates, published by Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston

2007  STEVEN ALEXANDER: WORLD AT LARGE, Essay by Lilly Wei, 20 pages, 15 color plates, published by Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston

 

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Mattera, Joanne, "Balm and Spark", Joanne Mattera Art Blog, January 24, 2017

Westfall, Stephen, "What Parachute is Your Color?", Painting Color, exhibition catalog, College of Art & Design, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 2016

Lieb, Vered, "Unexpected Resonances: an interview with Steven Alexander", Steven Alexander: Paintings, David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York, 2016

Wilkin, Karen, The Onward of Art: American Abstract Artists 80th Anniversary Exhibition, exhibition catalog, American Abstract Artists, New York, 2016

Wethli, Mark, "Steven Alexander", Some Assembly Required, exhibition catalog, The Curator Gallery, New York, 2015

Strasnick, Stephanie, "Steven Alexander, Logan Grider, Robert Reed", ARTnews, October 2013

Holzman, Eric, "Terraplane: The Paintings of Steven Alexander", Steven Alexander: Terraplane, exhibition catalog, Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, 2013

Mattera, Joanne, "Building Geometry: Steven Alexander, Warren Isensee, Chris Johanson, Christian Maychack", Joanne Mattera Art Blog, October 10, 2012

Frank, Peter, "Steven Alexander: Presence", Steven Alexander: Recent Paintings, exhibition catalog, David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York City, 2012

Rooney, Ashley E., 100 Artists of the Mid-Atlantic, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 2011

Robinson, Walter, "Weekend Update", Artnet.com Magazine, January 10, 2011

Mattera, Joanne, "It's A Plane! (Part 2 of 3)", Joanne Mattera Art Blog, January 19, 2011

Beck, Kate, "The Paintings of Steven Alexander", Steven Alexander: Brooks Run to the Ocean..., exhibition catalog, Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, 2010

Mattera, Joanne, "What I Saw This Summer, Part 4: Studio Visit with Pam Farrell and Steven Alexander", Joanne Mattera Art Blog, September 3, 2009

Beck, Kate, "Color as it Happens: Steven Alexander and Willy Bo Richardson", Kate Beck Art Notes online, August 10, 2009

Rywalt, Chris, "GeoMetrics II" , NYC Art online, March 25, 2009

Mattera, Joanne, "Awash in Color: Roy G. Biv and Friends", Joanne Mattera Art Blog, May 28, 2008

Wei, Lilly, "Color, Actually",Steven Alexander: World At Large, exhibition catalog, Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston, 2007

Forart, "Steven Alexander at Test Pattern", Electric City Renaissance, online review, June 2006

Barnes, Michael, "Alexander's Andalucia", Austin American Statesman, May 12, 2001

1992 Critic's Choice, exhibition catalog, D-Art Visual Arts Center, Dallas 1992

Levy, Rebecca, "The Artst's Eye", Austin Chronicle, October 25, 1991

Whittaker, Michael, "That's Pretty Great", Austin Chronicle, September 15, 1989

Palmer, Robert, "The Pop Life", The New York Times, June 23, 1982

Shore, Michael, "How Does It Look? How Does It Sound?", ARTnews, November 1980

Rockwell, John, "Model Citizens", The New York Times, September 11, 1979

 

WRITING & CURATING

2008-20  STEVEN ALEXANDER JOURNAL - Selected reviews, notes and observations regarding contemporary art and culture, published online at  http://StevenAlexanderJournal.blogspot.com/

2013  "James Perry: Constructing Space", catalog essay for the exhibition James Perry: Recent Sculpture, Gremillion & Co. Fine Art, Houston

2012  "Gonçalo Ivo: Monumental Acts of Devotion", essay translated to Portuguese and French for the monograph Gonçalo Ivo: Oratório, published by Contra Cappa Livraria LTDA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2011  "Theodoros Stamos: Mapping Infinity and More", catalog essay, 499 Park Avenue Gallery, New York

2010  "The Paintings of Gonçalo Ivo", catalog essay for Gonçalo Ivo: Paintings and Objects exhibition catalog, translated to Portuguese and published by Multiart Gallery, Fortaleza, Brazil

2010  "New York School Redux", catalog essay for New York School Redux exhibition, 499 Park Avenue Gallery, New York

2009  "The Altered Landscape", catalog essay for The Altered Landscape exhibition, 499 Park Avenue Gallery, New York

2009  "CrossCurrents: Ann Pachner and Emily Cheng", catalog essay for CrossCurrents exhibition, 499 Park Avenue Gallery, New York

2007  "Gary Komarin's Zone of Continuity", catalog essay for Gary Komarin: Mexican Thoughts exhibition catalog, published by Gail Severn Gallery, Sun Valley

2001  "Painting, With the Figure", catalog essay for Five Figure Painters exhibition catalog, published by AFA Gallery, Scranton

2000  Curator and essayist for NATURE: Contemporary Art & the Natural World, exhibition brochure published by Contemporary Gallery, Marywood University, including works by Per Kirkeby, Eugene Leroy, Maya Lin, Judy Pfaff, Milton Resnick, Susan Rothenberg, Joan Snyder, Pat Steir, Don Van Vleit, Terry Winters

1997  Curator and catalog essayist for The Poetic Object: Paintings of Rebecca Purdum, exhibition catalog published by Contemporary Gallery, Marywood University

1976  Edited and designed ROOMS P.S.1, catalog for the inaugural "Rooms" exhibition at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, published by the Institute for Art and Urban Resources, New York

 

LECTURES & TEACHING

2019  Artist Panel, Color, Pattern, Texture, Shape, Spanierman Modern, Miami

2016  Gallery Talk, Recent Paintings, David Findlay Jr Gallery, New York 

2015  Visiting Artist at Bowdoin College

2005  Visiting Professor at Studio Art Centers International, Florence

2003  Visiting Artist at Parsons the New School for Design

1999  Visiting Professor at Studio Art Centers International, Florence

1995-2020  Professor of Visual