Next month, painter Alex Gross returns with his first show in a decade in Los Angeles, where he lives and works. For most, “Antisocial Network” may conjure images of handheld devices and laptop screens, yet this show takes a broader approach to the term. Smartphones, VR headsets, corporate branding, and internal preoccupation all offer a different take on what the artist intends with this new collection at Corey Helford Gallery. The show kicks off Feb. 25 and lasts through March 25. Gross was last featured on HiFructose.com here.
In an initial set of images released, we find characters in each painting lost in their thoughts, dwelling on death in mid-Slurpee or a pair enjoying a trip into virtual reality separately. In a handful of the oil paintings, groups of individuals are decidedly alone, once again hinting at the show’s sobering title.
“These paintings straddle the line between surreal dreamscape and incisive social commentary,” according to a statement. “The result is an intimate portrait of the modern condition in 2017. What the future holds for us as a species, and for our relationship to the world around us, is one of the key themes that unifies these unique and powerful paintings.”