Patrick Alston
Overview
Patrick Alston (b. 1991, Bronx, NY) creates works that, along with their titles, activate thought-provoking and reflective topics including socio-politics, identity, language, and the psychology of color. Alston’s re-contextualized subjects, rich palettes, and complex compositions ignite exhilarating energies, expressed through gestural mark making that project an unwritten aesthetic. The selection of his titles plays a crucial role within the artistic process, comparing abstraction to that of Black English Vernacular as a form of understanding the complexities of language. Alston's images create harmonious tension that challenge viewers to look carefully at the world around them, discovering beauty in unconventional places.
Alston’s work embodies the spirit of Abstract Expressionism and the aesthetic elements of urban landscapes, reflecting the unique period in which he creates. Incorporating visual elements associated with the New York School and serial mark-making, his art documents the evolution of this movement. His paintings push the boundaries of what is possible, highlighting the dynamic nature of contemporary art. Central to Alston's work is his exploration of color, which investigates the harmony and tension of the universe. For Alston, color is the universe's language, binding the human spirit and conveying an ebb and flow that resonates deeply with one’s identity and personhood.
Works
Press
-
Dragon Hill X ArtReview Writers Residency: Tom Denman
The second Dragon Hill X ArtReview Writers Residency text discusses abstraction in the context of work by Anthony Akinbola, Patrick Alston and Ludovic Nkoth, the three artists on the Dragon Hill residency with the authorTom Denman, ArtReview, August 19, 2024 -
WM: The Language of Art
Art has always been a way for Patrick Alston ’13 to make sense of the world. The random decay of buildings of New York City, the disorder and trauma around him, and the fundamentals of art he learned at Wabash have created the foundation for the bloomingKim Johnson, Wabash, April 19, 2024 -
29 Emerging Black Artists to Discover This Black History Month, Part 1
Isis Davis-Marks, Artsy, February 1, 2024 -
‘As an Artist, You Look at Everything’: Emerging Painter Patrick Alston on How His South Bronx Home Infuses His Abstract Art
Alston explains how he found his style, and the mission he sees for his work today.Folasade Ologundudu, artnet, December 22, 2021 -
Five Contemporary Black Abstract Artists You Should Know
Meet the new rising class of Black artists exploring abstraction in painting that has caught our attention.Kendra Walker, CULTURED, May 16, 2021
Art Fairs
-
Art Basel Miami Beach 2024
6 - 8 Dec 2024Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to participate in the 2024 edition of Art Basel Miami Beach. This year is our largest and most ambitious presentation...Read more -
Art Basel 2024
Booth C12 10 - 16 Jun 2024Jenkins Johnson Gallery presents works by Patrick Alston, Mustafa Ali Clayton, Dewey Crumpler, Lisa Corinne Davis, David Driskell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Ming Smith,...Read more