Axis Mundi: Alexander Kori Girard Solo Show

Axis Mundi
Alexander Kori Girard Solo Exhibition
February 18 – March 20, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday, February 18, 7-10pm

Triple Base is proud to announce Axis Mundi, a solo show of new work by Alexander Kori Girard, originally a Berkeley-based artist who now resides in Los Angeles. For this new body of work, Girard used a set of shapes as the starting point and each painting unfolds much like a chain reaction in which every color and shape was born out of the context of its predecessors. All of the images in the exhibition are built out from a central axis, creating a mirror reflection within each composition. Rather than these mirrors being mathematically exact, they are instead closer to the approximate symmetry found in the nature.

“Axis Mundi” is sometimes referred to as the “Naval of the World”. In most cultures, you can find a prominent symbol of Axis Mundi; often depicted as a human form, tree, mountain, staircase or tower. It is the pulse or center that growth and development expands from. Girard regards these new paintings as windows or corridors that invite the viewer to cross a threshold into another space. This collection of work was influenced greatly by Girard’s numerous trips to India, evident in his treatment of color as well as the spiritual function of the paintings.

Alexander Kori Girard graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York 2001. He is an artist design consultant living in Los Angeles and is currently working on a book with Todd Oldham about the life and work of his grandfather, renowned designer Alexander Girard. Alexander Kori Girard was recently awarded and featured in the New American Paintings #91 featuring the winners of the 2010 Pacific Coast Competition juried by Lawrence Rinder. His collaborative works with Oliver Halsman Rosenberg will be included in the upcoming exhibition Abstract Now and Then at the Berkeley Art Museum.

In the Triple Basement:
Stop Frame Animation: Graphite Spot, 2011
by Alexander Kori Girard and Rafael Altman

In conjunction with his Triple Base exhibition Axis Mundi, Girard will share a stop-motion animation created in collaboration with video artist Rafael Altman that will be projected in the Triple Basement. Over the last eight years, Altman has been documenting Girard’s graphite drawing process, capturing thousands of photographs that demonstrate the numerous transformations that an artist can have with a given work. This animated film directly relates to the artwork on display in the Girard’s larger gallery installation upstairs. This animation is a testament to Girard’s interest in the relevance of the moving image and his pursuit in film. His next venture is creating puppets that will be brought to life in a music video animation for TV On The Radio with collaborator, Maya Erdely.

Thanks to our Opening Night sponsors: