Alex Boyd Jones, ‘Shifting Thresholds’

ARTIST STATEMENT:

My work is distinctly preoccupied with buildings and other human-made structures, especially those that resonate in ways that may not be immediately clear. There's often a connection or vibration that ignites curiosity or a sense of unease, perhaps something incongruous casting an unexpected narrative. These spaces, where people have lived and worked, serve as repositories and markers of individual and collective experiences, both in their construction and purpose. They leave lasting imprints on specific places across time. Discoveries arrive through physical encounters, found images, or lines read in a book and it is these initial meeting points, both real and metaphysical, that spark the creative process.

Lately, my work has featured temporary structures, influenced by the efficiency and often lightweight supports that leave a more subtle trace after their disappearance. These drawings are inspired by small maquettes constructed in the studio. In contrast to previously 'discovered' places, these fabrications introduce ambiguity and a sense of otherness in their forms and associations. Whether they represent real places imagined or imagined places made real, these potential, albeit improbable constructs, explore both interior and exterior realms, delving into themes of connection, protection, and precariousness.

BIOGRAPHY:

Since 2020, I have concentrated on my own artistic practice while also mentoring other artists and supporting wider creative projects. Before this, I had a wonderful full-time career as an art curator for twenty years in a number of UK public art galleries, working with national and international contemporary artists and curating historical and contemporary art collections. This left little room for a personal creative practice although my desire to create has never dissipated. I graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from DeMontfort University in 1996 followed by an MA in Museum Studies at Leicester University in 1998. A change in circumstances in 2019 led to the decision to re-invest fully in my own creative journey. Since 2022, I have shown work in a number of public and private galleries across England and Wales in solo and group exhibitions including the Tarpey Gallery in Castle Donington, Caerbladon in Malmesbury, MOMA in Machynlleth, Tŷ Pawb in Wrexham and The Hafren in Newtown.