Black and White | Trotter Alexander and Michele Thrane

On view: September 14 – October 6, 2024

Opening Reception Sunday, September 15th, 1-4pm RSVP

ABOUT TROTTER ALEXANDER

Chicago-based artist/muralist/designer; Trotter Alexander creates bodies of work representing  his state of mind, racial identity, and his personal inspirations - inciting a fresher-artistic perspective on for an audience to consume. Trotter consistently utilizes his artistic influences and twists them for his own narrative-driven pieces. Throughout his portfolio, there are consistent doodle and spray motifs within every piece produced. Trotter uses a plethora of different mediums; Acrylics, Spray Paint, Oils, Oil pastels, Marker & Paint Markers as tools to help further advance his artistic narrative. Trotter’s works constantly challenge an established idea or understanding of something by recontextualizing the subject for the world to see.

Growing up , Chicago-based artist Trotter Alexander turned to drawing and doodling as his main form of catharsis; Art gave Alexander the power to create worlds outside of the one he was living in. As he further honed his craft, his habit of drawing soon turned into his passion; As he further directs his artistic visions to the world. Empowered by his experiences of being unseen, Alexander creates works motivated to shift the existing paradigm of artworks & art-consumerism. Making works not only to beautify spaces, but also to have positive real-life influence. His works address topics such as culture, infatuation, self-hate/love, racial identity, and existentialism.

The Pink Series is an explorative exposé on artist - Trotter Alexander’s emotional/romantic internalizations, presented through abstract expression. Referencing Alexander’s profound sense of hurt, love, and self-actualization. 

Inspired by Tyler the Creator’s “IGOR”, Trotter utilizes the auricular experience of the album to influence his use of texture, composition, & overall storytelling. 

The color palettes are made to convey a feel of contrasting presences; a sense of soft beauty (pink) next to a stern and aggressive black and white- emphasizing the melancholy of the subjects of the piece. The show creates a unique display of the artist’s personal grievances with emotional concepts - creating a cast of predominantly male figures to explore the male experience of love. It delves into the toxic aspects of the artist’s psyche while, through the broader context of the pieces, simulating a journey of growth and transformation."

ABOUT MICHELE THRANE

I am primarily a printmaker and mixed media artist. I practice a form of “asemic writing” which is a kind of invented calligraphy. My work features seeming-symbols that evoke real letters, musical notations and sometimes, scientific equations. These seeming-symbols are gestural abstractions that invite the viewer to project a variety of meanings into the work. 

In my current work, I use pigmented beeswax on a specialized heated aluminum plate to create my encaustic monotypes. The monotypes are sometimes cut, reconfigured, and “stitched” together with staples to create wall sculptures. Some of my monotypes are mounted on panels or framed for display.

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