From August 25 to October 14, 2023, WOAW Gallery Central will be showcasing “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN AT,” a solo exhibition by Scottish artist Alexander Guy. The exhibition marks Guy’s first solo showing in Hong Kong, and features nine of his recent and earlier works as Guy contemplates the “tacky realism of modern life” through his oil paintings.
For a vibrant and inquisitive artist such as Guy, even the most quotidian of objects naturally fascinate him. Items such as Kleenex and Greggs may have a mundane appearance, yet they fill his canvases as he documents his experience living in Glasgow, illustrating the constant shifts and turns in his life.
“Glasgow is unique!” said Guy. “Glasgow is very real, it can also be unreal. It’s a fascinating city and as a painter, I find it to be a stimulating and innovative place to be, even if that is concentrated in the local supermarket, the public transport or in the streets.”
Alexander Guy, KEEPING IT REAL, 2023
He adds: “I don’t paint a fantasy or dream world, I paint what is real, in that case there was no ‘deciding’ it was as it is, whether that is cheap food, cleaning products or everyday living or ‘living it up’ when times are good.”
Guy himself was not unfamiliar with the less glamorous aspects of real life - from being employed as a child on fairgrounds to being paid in cigarettes, to picking potatoes and stones in exchange for money, fancy clothes and motorbikes. True to his word, his visual compositions of this exhibition captures the reality of increasing prices and excessive packaging all around Glasgow during Covid lockdown.
“During the making of the paintings for this exhibition I was attempting to convey the anxiety, fear and worry of post-lockdown mood and contemplating the future of global warming to a point where life may be unsustainable very soon, as opposed to this I wanted to show life goes on as normal as we hide our heads in the sand.”
Alexander Guy, THE THING ABOUT ORANGE IS ....., 2023
Fascinated by the allure of graphic art in advertising and packaging, Guy recognises a vulnerability amongst consumers, including himself, where we are drawn to the vibrant colors and attractive pictures that decorate unnecessary products. He captures this experience through his illustrations of commercial products. Guy’s loud hues and bright chroma allow his paintings to take on an almost gaudy appearance, yet a tenseness bleeds between the lines of his hyper realistic works as he reflects upon the inevitable changes caused by a consumerist society — all packaged in eye-catching details and exciting colors.
Alexander Guy, THIS IS (NOT) AN ORANGE PAINTING, 2023
The visual appeal of Guy’s aesthetics stem from the multitude of artistic influences, such as Caravaggio, Raphael, Fragonard, and Claude Lorraine. Music is another form of art that permeates his creative space. With heroes like John Lennon, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Hank Williams, and Elvis Presley, Guy approaches his curatorial process in a way similar to a musician. His exhibitions are to be experienced like an album “where you can play it through without weakness, perhaps 2 or 3 super hits, 3 good B sides and 2 string tracks as close to ‘Ziggy Stardust’ or ‘Nevermind’ Nirvana.”
Through his paintings, Guy marvels at the contrast between the elevated and grounded aspects of Glasgow, or what he fondly refers to as “TRASH meets GLAM”. To him, these different facets of the city also prompt him to reexamine the relationship between what is considered highbrow and lowbrow art, and ultimately whether the difference truly matters in the end. In his provocative exhibition title “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN AT”, Guy asks his audience whether they are aware of what they are perceiving in front of them.
“This expression can be used in various ways. ‘WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN AT’ is challenging, provocative and even defensive/aggressive in certain situations and I decided it was appropriate for the times we find ourselves,” said Guy. “Also, when looking at an art exhibition, I thought it would be a question, ‘WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN AT?’ — Is this good art? Do you like it? Does it matter? — Asking questions about the quality and nature of the work, my work. Basically, I thought it was a vague, ambiguous but correct title for my first exhibition in Hong Kong.”
Alexander Guy, GENO RELAPSED ... AGAIN, 2023
Guy believes contemporary art has the potential to bring in deeper, thought-provoking narratives due to its prominent role in our culture. Although this entire exhibition is created as a collective piece of work, he notably favors GENO RELAPSED…AGAIN (2023). The painting highlights the emotional journey of addicts and alcoholics as they struggle to recover from their addiction. Depicting a sense of frustration and anger through the overflowing coffee cups and mountains of cigarette butts, the work signifies the direction of Guy’s future exhibitions in exploring themes that are “darker, contemplative, deeper, dealing with issues like addiction, rehab, relapse and the possibility of bringing this subject matter into [his] next body of work.”
“‘WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN AT’ is of course similar to my previous shows,” said Guy, “but I believe it is stronger as I think technically I am getting better and more precise, both in my subject matter and as a reflection and documentation of life as it goes on.”
“I can only hope the sentiment in my work can reach or touch the people of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a very special place which I will remember fondly. I sincerely hope I can come back again.”