Brian Alves
August 6 - 19, 2023
“August” by Brian Alves
Above stills from “August”
Tell us about the artwork. What makes it unique?
"In the tradition of Allan Kaprow’s ‘Activities’, August documents the simple human activity of clearing paint from a concrete floor. The action suggests as much a psychological state as the uncovering of truths. The colors and shapes of the floor within the frame of the camera converts the rawness of the surface into a carefully-arranged formalist abstract canvas in the process of deconstruction/construction. The audio has been enhanced to place the viewer closer to the surface of the floor as the protagonist of an action that they may interpret as either meditation or obsession.”
Tell us about yourself. How did you come to be an artist in video/digital media?
“Brian Alves is an Associate Professor and the Chairperson of Art + Design at Salem State University. He has been an educator, installation artist, graphic designer, art director, museum technician and gallery curator among other things for the past 20 years. Further, he once cleaned a large floor with only a Q-Tip while studying with Allan Kaprow, a pioneer of ‘Happening.’”