Knowledge Friday is a monthly lecture series hosted by The Church in Sag Harbor featuring local makers and shakers, artisans and experts in a diversity of fields. The next Knowledge Friday lecture on Friday, July 29, at 6 p.m. will be John Alexander in conversation with Sara Cochran, The Church’s chief curator.
In their talk, Alexander will reflect on his long, storied, and varied career and life. He grew up fishing in the East Texas bayous and camping in the Big Thicket. These experiences helpd him develop a deep reverence for nature at an early age. After studying at Lamar University in Beaumont and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Alexander taught at the University of Houston. In 1979 he moved to New York and in 1986 he bought a house in Amagansett.
Alexander is internationally recognized as a skilled draftsman and painter who creates arresting still lives, emotionally intense landscapes, and incisive and satirical portraits that tackle politics, religion, and the absurdity of the human condition. His wide-ranging artistic career is a testament to his keen mind and insatiable curiosity. Nevertheless, there are two constants in his work: his lush depiction of the natural world with its glorious flora and fauna and his critical view of humanity, American politics, corporate greed, and the senseless, man-made destruction of the planet.
Alexander describes his ongoing subject matter as “nature at its grandest and man at his worst,” or the “glimpse of paradise before the wrecking ball hits.” Critic Robert Hughes admiringly referred to him as “a Texan swamp hog raised by madness.” Alexander will share his sharp intellect, acerbic humor, trickster magic and perhaps even a little art.
Tickets for Knowledge Friday with John Alexander July 29 at 6 p.m. are $15 at thechurchsagharbor.org. The Church is at 48 Madison Street, Sag Harbor.
Staff Writer on Jul 22, 2022