ALICIA DEGENER

ALICIA DEGENER IS A NATIVE DETROIT WHO STUDIED FINE ART AT PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, ANN ARBOR AND THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. A LONGTIME BROOKLYN RESIDENT ALICIA PAINTS THE LANDSCAPE OF NYC BUT CONTINUES TO REVISIT DETROIT WHERE SHE DISCOVERED HER LOVE OF REPRESENTING THE PATTERNS AND DETAILS FOUND IN GREAT, PERHAPS CRUMBLING ARCHITECTURE AND INTRICATE IRONWORK FOUND IN BRIDGES. ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS SUCH AS CORINTHIAN COLUMNS, CORNICES, FRIEZES AND ANYTHING KITSCHY AMERICANA LIKE ROADSIDE SIGNS ARE OFTEN EXPLORED IN ALICIA’S WORK. DEGENER COMBINES LITERAL REPRESENTATION WITH ABSTRACT ELEMENTS TO FOCUS ON WHAT SHE WANTS PEOPLE TO SEE SHE FINDS INTERESTING ABOUT A PLACE. BRILLIANT AND VIBRANT COLOR COMBINED WITH A WONKY SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE BRING MOVEMENT TO HER PAINTINGS AND A FRESH VIEW ON CITY LANDSCAPES. UNUSUAL CROPPING AND FRAMING OF IMAGES ADD TO THE OVERALL LOOK OF ALICIA’S ARTWORK. DEGENER OFTEN INCORPORATE TEXT AND IMAGERY SHE FINDS IN STREET SIGNS TO GIVE A NARRATIVE SOMETIMES IRONIC OR HUMOROUS TO HER ARTWORK. I WORK IN A VARIETY OF MEDIUMS INCLUDING OIL, ACRYLIC, WATERCOLOR, PASTEL AND LINOLEUM BLOCK PRINTING.