12.31.2007
Alexander work on display downtown
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Artist Shannon Alexander seems shy by nature, but his artwork speaks volumes about his talent and ability to communicate through his pencil.
The 32-year-old Statesville native will have his work on display for the entire community to see during his one-man show at Broad Street Gallery.
Alexander has had shows at The Depot and Iredell Museums Court Street Gallery, and he has an upcoming show in Mooresville at Four Corners Framing and Gallery in February for Black History Month.
“Having my work shown makes me feel a sense of honor and pride because I’ve been chosen to do a lot of things of this nature,” he said.
About 15 pieces will be on exhibit for a week starting Friday at Broad Street Gallery. A few pieces will continue to be on display for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The self-taught artist’s pieces tell stories untold and of current events, he said.
His pieces speak of the Jena 6 in Louisiana - a group of six black men charged with beating a white man after a series of racially charged incidents - the Somalia War in the mid-1990s and of the Middle East.
Several pieces on display next month will be of Martin Luther King Jr.’s family and singers Bob Marley and Erykah Badu.
Having his work on display is bittersweet for the artist, who has noticed art isn’t what it used to be.
“Art is a dying culture, so I’m pleased people want to see it,” he said.
“Art life in Statesville is waking up, and it’s not totally awake yet.”
For the city to revitalize its creative culture and to bring it alive again, more art galleries and crawls should be organized, he said.
He hopes to teach lessons through his work. He uses his talents to show people another side of reality.
“This isn’t making me a millionaire, but I’m doing it so other people can see a different way of life,” he said.
Broad Street Gallery co-owner Diana McLaughlin was introduced to Alexander’s work through a gallery in Mooresville.
She was inclined to allow him to show in the gallery she owns with Jay White because his work is “distinct and needs to be seen and appreciated.”
“His work is dramatic, breath-taking and evokes a lot of emotion,” she said.
Having a local, homegrown artist whose work is powerful and original is attractive.
“I paint because it documents times in life I wouldn’t have been able to,” Alexander said. “Most people walk around with a camera - I walk around with a pencil and paper.”