bio: Alexander Alter ( L X N R A L T R ) abbrv.

Alexander Alter divides his time between Toronto and Milan. His artistic practice began as an contextualization of his surroundings, leading him to develop a personal visual perspective.

Canadians live within a two-language system, as well as within separate multicultural communities, where there are no clear common grounds for identity. Yet through spririt of place, we form culturally interactive connections, an amalgamation of our differences. These merging cultural connections evole into a visual hybrid. Forming it’s own visual native tongue, a newly formed line of sight within a greater whole.

Alter approaches his work as a hybrid, by using a ‘montage palette’. Interrupting and re-adapting conventional approaches, he melds photography, drawing and painting through software. His current process is one of cross-pollination of the physical, the vernacular and the symbolic aspects of an image. Through visual cues and the use of recurring motifs, Alter’s work connects and juxtaposes image fragments and symbolism, of which each  enhances the others’ strengths and their unique rhythms.

These unique rhythms are akin to elements in music such as fugue, or to a cinematic montage: a golden thread of similarities, connections and comparisons are formed. Whether in art, music or cinema… interpretations of rhythm, image and metaphor, can be montaged into modern evolving narratives. Alter believes this is all reflected and is sourced back to our multicultural societies as they emerge and evolve.

    Presently he is a full-time faculty member at Toronto Metropolitan University, within the Image Arts program teaching Photography. He previously taught for 14 years at the Ontario College of Art and Design within the Design program.

MFA., in Graphic Design, Cranbrook Academy of Art

A.O.C.A., in Fine Art & Design, Ontario College of Art & Design

Representation

Daniele Xibilia
danielex7@hotmail.com