Alexander Paulus: The Morning After

(Dallas, TX) Ro2 Art is pleased to welcome Memphis-based artist Alexander Paulus for 'The Morning After,' a solo exhibition of new paintings in which the artist playfully explores the unexpected response viewers experience when encountering barely hidden realities.

The opening reception will take place Saturday, June 4 from 7 to 10pm, with the show running through July 3, 2016. The artist will be in attendance at the opening reception. The Morning After will be on exhibition at Ro2 Art, located at 1501 South Ervay, in The Cedars neighborhood near Downtown Dallas.

ARTIST STATEMENT

"My paintings are a representation of how ridiculous I think life can be. In some of my more recent works I’ve made fun of cheesy things, such as Tom Cruise and the show 'Friends.' I’m bringing attention to these things because I want the viewer to think about what it is they are looking at and why anyone would make a piece of art about this specific subject matter.

"I also like to include humor in the work. If my art can make people laugh and feel good, I’ve succeeded. The paintings are usually very bright and bold in color, and the subject matter can be a little bizarre. The use of brightly colored paint seems to curb some the strange imagery and make it more palatable to the viewer.

"Happiness and sadness seem to appear in the pieces simultaneously. A beautiful landscape can be accompanied by a small dead body, or a fun looking roller coaster can be surrounded by a bunch of dead bodies. Death makes me sad, so I try to make it seem less depressing."
– Alexander Paulus, 2016

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Alex Paulus is originally from southeast Missouri, but has been a resident of Memphis, Tennessee since 2007. He received his MFA in 2009 from the Memphis College of Art and has been teaching ever since. Paulus' work has been shown in numerous galleries in Memphis, Nashville, Dallas, St. Louis, London, among others. His work has also been published in Studio Visit magazine and Beautiful/Decay.