There is little conscious planning as I create my art. I work intuitively and rather quickly. I start with a geometric shape, a humorous or serious doodle, a fluid symbol fished from my subconscious, a newly minted hieroglyph or alphabet, sometimes a line expressive of energy and movement, and I proceed from there.
The process is closely akin to automatic writing or, to use a label in vogue, channeling. I become both a witness of and a conduit to creativity.
My work unfolds with its own inner logic (or lack of same), of which I am only dimly aware. The end product is an image or images that suggest rather than tell, probe rather than define rather than state outright.
My work is whimsical, satiric, metaphysical, convoluted and highly detailed. As much as possible I try not to censor my work but to let it flow from my psyche. Sometimes my work seems of a piece to me; at other times it seems disparate. Created by a multiple artistic self (or selves). My art can be rigid or fluid, masculine or feminine, insightful or trivial. Importantly, my art is energetic, bursting with color, line and movement.
I use my art as a kind of satori (illumination: spontaneous grasping) for each viewer. To this end I title my pieces with names that are koans (riddles with non-logic "answers") of sorts: "Waiting for the Light to Change," "Watching for Three-Minute Eggs," "Remembrance of Things Past Tense," "Two Steps Ahead," "Still Life in Motion," etc.
The result is art of a truly inner dimension, with its own dynamics and tensions, its own resolutions. I seek to bridge my intuitive world to that of those who experience visual creations.
My art is both familiar and alien. It keeps me alive and aware. It gives me much pleasure to share it.
Editor's note:
Our beloved Charles Alexander suffered a stroke this Memorial Day that has left him physically weaker and with some sight deficits. Alexander has been a prolific writer, artist, muse and devoted supporter of the LGBTQ community for many decades. An exhibition of his art is currently on display at the Pittmann-Puckett Art Gallery at the Affirmations LGBTQ community center in Ferndale, and on Sept. 29 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. we will celebrate him, his art and his remarkable life and contributions to the fabric of the LGBTQ and artistic communities.
Alexander will be at this opening Sept. 29 to meet and speak with his many friends and fans. All the artwork on display will be available for sale, to benefit the Charles Alexander Care Trust established to support him as he recovers from the stroke.
Since Between The Lines was founded in 1993, Alexander has written nearly 1,000 of his weekly "Parting Glances" columns. Each one has brought his unique perspective on Detroit's history, the evolution of the LGBTQ community and the ever-changing political/social landscape we all share.
All are invited to attend the opening reception Sept. 29 at Affirmations from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information visit http://gaybe.am/Yk.
