‘I’m the painter paparazzi!’ says Alice White

Emerging Artist Showcase by Sally-Ann Johnson
No.1: Alice White www.alicewhiteart.com

Alice works mainly in oils and creates colourful, energetic paintings of people. Her work portrays a fresher, more insightful focus on the human form and figure which aim to go beyond the currently established notions of contemporary portraiture. Seeking to capture the mood and character of each individual model, Alice selects sitters who epitomise – through their body language or features – recognisable characters from modern-day society. These range from the moody musician to cantankerous old gentlemen!

‘I’m the painter paparazzi!’ says Alice.

‘My aim is to map the culture of today, to play upon its symbolism and iconography. In the future my pieces will act as a snapshot of our times.’

Alice does exactly this through her new series of monoprints entitled All About Love. This ‘monochrome set’ is a modern study of human expression – in close-up. The works focus on the face, captured in linear form, with no background to detract from the sensitivity and simplicity of the emotion being portrayed. The impact of these pieces lies in the brevity of execution: less is more.

Alice’s talent is the ability to capture the spirit of the moment whilst enticing the viewer to explore the underlying narrative – that of the human condition.

Viewed collectively, All About Love takes us on a journey from the nascent charm of the title piece, depicted through a skeletal child-like figure in an overcoat, to Derelict Lover, which shows the cragged expression of a life-worn man, his innocence long gone, on a continual search for a place to hang his hat. The emotions communicated in this work ranges from dramatic, romantic entreaties to calm, almost hopeless statements of defunct relationships.

With presence and emotion, Alice’s work resonates with a mirror quality, enticing, almost obliging the viewer to extract from it reflection on his or her own life.

Alice does not restrict herself to depicting the human form but has also painted animals – portrayed not merely for their ‘cute’ factor or sensory appeal but rendered to take on a personality and individual characteristics which lends them the same level of insight as her portraiture work.

Born in London, Alice trained at Central Saint Martins College of Art, where she now teaches, and graduated from Chelsea College of Art and Design in 2005. She practices as a painter from a studio in Peckham, located on the top floor of the Bussey Building (a large industrial estate behind Rye Lane).

Since arriving at her studio, she has not only exhibited her own work in across London, but has also been responsible for organising, curating and publicising other shows within the warehouse. This involves showcasing talented artists from the studio complex itself, as well as gathering emerging talent from nearby Camberwell and Goldsmiths art colleges. She was also recently interviewed on Radio Peckham both as a voice for local artists concerning demolition of the Bussey studio building and to talk about her own work and ongoing art events in the area.

Alice has also had solo shows in Carnaby St, (White’s Sugar, December 2006), and Old Street (Return to Form, May/June 2007), and has just concluded 2007 with a three-person show in Southwark, at which she presented her series of monoprints for the first time.

Last year, I attended a course at Central Saint Martins co-hosted by Alice. She has infectious energy and humour. She is truly passionate about what she does, and sharing her knowledge and skills to encourage others to build confidence and individuality in their own talent.

Alice’s paintings are available to buy as originals through her website, which provides links to sites offering limited edition prints and custom prints of her works, as well as selected original artworks. For more information visit www.alicewhiteart.com