The artistic journey of Alex Garant - the development of a unique language characterized by a doubling illusion.

Alex Garant, a renowned artist known for her captivating and mesmerizing artworks, has carved a unique niche for herself in the art world. Her paintings, characterized by patterns, symmetry, and a doubling illusion, have captivated audiences worldwide. In this interview, Garant provides insights into her artistic drive, the development of her visual language, her creative process, preferred media, and key influences on her work.

Growing up with an artist mother, Garant was exposed to art from an early age, surrounded by art supplies and engaging in daily drawing and painting activities. This creative environment, combined with her enrollment in oil painting classes as a child, laid the foundation for her artistic journey. However, it wasn't until later in life, after exploring various other careers, that she fully committed herself to art. A life-altering heart attack experience further fueled her determination to pursue her artistic passion wholeheartedly.

Garant's artistic vocabulary took shape through her natural attraction to patterns and symmetry. From a young age, she found fascination in identifying visual clues within images. Her visual language emerged as she became self-aware of her own patterns and recognized the repeated key components throughout her series. Hours spent in the studio, experimenting and creating sketches, allowed her to perfect the practice of her doubling illusion technique, which involves duplicating sketches on different papers.

Garant's work combines both a project-minded approach and a dynamic evolution of themes. Due to the intended effect of her art, she plans each piece carefully, particularly focusing on subjects while allowing freedom in color choices and contextual elements. The brushstrokes and level of detail may dynamically change based on her mood during the creation process.

As an ardent fan of oil paint, Garant expresses her love for the medium's sculptural qualities on the canvas. She appreciates the ability to manipulate and refine the paint for extended periods after application. While she occasionally experiments with mixed media to keep her creativity fluid, oil paint remains her true love.

Inspiration for Garant's artworks can arise from various sources, whether it be literal observations of colors in flowers or mystical visions during everyday activities. However, she emphasizes the importance of refining these inspirations through sketching and creating specific mockups before translating them onto the canvas. Ideas that feel stimulating and achievable are carefully selected to proceed with the artistic process.

For Garant, balance is the key element in creating a good composition. She tends to create compositions with a central figurative element, often devoid of elaborate backgrounds. This minimalist approach allows her characters to exist in a void, captivating the viewer's attention without distractions.

One artist who has greatly influenced Garant's work is Francis Bacon. His pope series inspired her exploration of movement and illusion. Garant admires Bacon's mastery of wet brush strokes, using them to convey transparency and motion in a captivating manner.

Alex Garant's artistic journey is driven by her lifelong exposure to art, her commitment to perfecting her visual language, and her deep passion for oil paint. Through careful planning and experimentation, she creates mesmerizing compositions that captivate viewers with their doubling illusion and symmetrical elements. Inspired by artists like Francis Bacon, Garant continues to push the boundaries of her artistic expression. As she continues to evolve and refine her style, the art world eagerly awaits the next captivating creations from this talented artist.

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ARTICULATE 36 [extended personalities], is a magazine of contemporary art, packed with 70 pages of high quality content, showcasing the work of 5 professional artists, featuring the Danish artist Nour Fog, the Austrian sculpture artist Ulli Zerzer, painter Alex Garant, Brazilian urban activist Daniel Melim and Russian digital explorer Sergey Nehaev.

This interview with Alex Garant is part of the 36th magazine, ARTICULATE #36 | extended personalities. Read, download or order your print version of the full publication below.