California-based artist Alec Egan explores nostalgia and memory in his latest series of contemporary oil paintings. Motifs including books, flowers, architectural elements, and wallpaper designs—similar to those found in his grandparent’s home—repeat throughout the group of paintings in this exhibition, which combines a grand, central painting with six detail compositions.
By repeating and layering similar elements across the body of work, Egan’s series achieves a rhythmic connection while also calling to mind the uncertainty and evolution of childhood memories, where a familiar place or object may be remembered in several ways. Discovering the relationships between the central painting and the other paintings in the series is a highlight of experiencing the exhibition in person.
Born in Los Angeles, in 1984, Alec Egan received his B.A. in 2007 from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio and his M.F.A. in 2013 from Otis College of Art and Design in L.A. Egan completed a Millwork Residency in Dubuque in 2015. He has shown in group and solo shows in L.A., New York, Portland, and Amsterdam. His work is represented in L.A. by Anat Egbi Gallery.