A / MCG

Artist Statement

In her current body of work, Alexis continues expounding on the narrative of Blackness that is the foundation of her conceptual ideas. For her, Blackness manifests itself in three forms: figurative abstraction, the notion of spirituality and its relationship to Being, and celestial & metaphysical space. Her narrative of Blackness asserts that in order for Black people of all descent to come into being, they must travel to and from a larger theoretical plane, the Further or the space of All Being. Her artwork is a visual examination of their mode of travel, how they venture to and from “Home”, and the planes through which they move. Alexis uses celestial space as a metaphor for the autonomy of Blackness, redefining its agency as a fixed idea or way of being and leaning into its fluidity and ability to be more complex than we allow ourselves to understand. With this in mind, on a larger scale, It – Blackness, having its foundation in the body and the black experience, has the ability to manifest as an intangible space that releases its dependence on the physical body. Through her paintings, she seeks to allow the viewer a wider perspective of the vastness of our existence.   

Alexis employs an interdisciplinary approach to examine these concepts, utilizing painting, drawing, transmedia, and installation. Her choice of materials greatly impacts the visual language she is able to achieve within a work. For example, her paintings utilize layers of rich fabric dyes that have soaked into drenched watercolor paper and canvas. The many layers of dye allow her to push into the surface imagery, creating depth and what she thinks of as an opening into the picture plane. Similarly, the use of layers in her experimental videos imply what can be construed as a portal or expansive opening into an alternate world. While the method of application may differ, the concepts and exploration remain the same, linking a visual thread through the chosen media. 

About

Alexis McGrigg is a contemporary artist who examines themes of Blackness, space, spirituality, identity, and collective consciousness. Her artwork utilizes the mediums of painting, drawing, and interdisciplinary media to explore the multiplicity of Blackness through figurative abstraction and conceptual narratives. She integrates poetry, sound, and performance in her arts practice and research. 

Her artwork is included in several private collections and has been featured in exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally in New York, NY, Chicago, IL, Miami, FL, New Orleans, LA, and Oakland, CA – most recently in her solo exhibitions In The Beloved at Almine Rech Gallery, Brussels, Belgium, The Labour of Being at Almine Rech Gallery, Paris, France,  and The Ether - Journey In Between at Richard Beavers Gallery, NYC; group exhibitions, SAY IT LOUD at Christie’s Auction House, Salon de Peinture at Almine Rech, NY, and LIGHT at the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (CICA) in South Korea. 

Alexis earned her Bachelor of Fine Art in Painting from Mississippi State University in 2012 and a Master of Fine Art with a concentration in Painting and Transmedia from Texas Tech University in 2017.