Sophisticated Swag: Alex Brewer

Mural by Alex Brewer

You’ve more than likely seen this artist’s work.  His painted church in DC was all over the interwebs last year.  But artist Alex Brewer aka Hense, does more than just create amazing ecclesiastical transformations.  Brewer takes elements of the style he honed as a graffiti artist and applies it to canvas and paper, resulting in abstractions that are sophisticated with a bit of swag.

Mural by Alex Brewer
Mural, acrylic, ink, aerosol, graphite and oil bar on canvas, 58×58

Brewer takes those quick gestures and gritty scribbles from his street art background and translates them into layered, slightly rowdy compositions.  Full of riotous color and the spontaneity of street painting, these pieces seem like screen captures of fleeting moments in paint.

Day Two by Alex Brewer
Day Two, acrylic, house paint, ink and spray paint on wood, 42×48
Rearrange by Alex Brewer
Rearrange, acrylic, aerosol and latex house paint on wood, 72×72
Red Painting by Alex Brewer
Red Painting, acrylic, spray paint, ink and house paint on wood, 42×48

The layers of paint interlace with each other, so that we aren’t sure where one layer begins and the next one ends, like one artist’s graffiti slightly covered by the next to come along.

Untitled Blue by Alex Brewer
Untitled Blue

Want to see more work by Alex Brewer?  Check out his website.

All images are via the artist’s website.

 

 

Comments

3 responses to “Sophisticated Swag: Alex Brewer”

  1. Lesley Avatar
    Lesley

    test

  2. matateishi Avatar

    ooooh, I already love Hense, so thanks for reminding me how amazing his work is!

    1. Lesley Avatar
      Lesley

      I had seen his paintings before, but didnt realize they were the same artist!