Adam Alessi at Smart Objects

From KCRW’s Art Insider Lindsay Preston Zappas:

“It was somewhat unnerving stepping into ‘MIDDAY,’ a solo show by Alex Alessi. In his oil paintings, eerie figures float against jet black backgrounds, each skewed to an uncanny angle as if hovering in a harrowing netherworld. By denying the viewer the ability to see these subjects head-on, Alessi builds a suspenseful tension into the act of viewing.

Elsewhere, the symbol of the mask (‘Finger Puppet’ and ‘Quiet Comedy’) enters to take the exhibition on a devilish turn. This tension builds across the show, leading into the back gallery where a masked and menacing character (‘Trickster’) juggles two balls as if about to determine your fate. The works are delicately and expertly painted, furthering the strangeness of their spooky subject matter.

That the subject of the menacing trickster coincides with the chaotic  political landscape—a heated presidential election, the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Trump contracting COVID-19—and the coming of Halloween, adds an ominous layer to the work on view.”