Since the 1990s, Alexander Ross has explored his own postmodern visual language, a characteristic fusion of surrealism, photorealism, and biology. His elusive and expansive biomorphic assemblages resemble the cellular, vegetal, alien, aquatic, and topographical, bypassing obvious classification.

With his latest series of works on paper, Ross skillfully layers colored pencil, crayon, graphite, and watercolor to build up soft yet vividly colored amorphous forms that oscillate between micro and macro. Each work begins as a clay sculpture and, through a process of photographing, manipulating images, painting, and drawing, is transmuted into a two-dimensional work.

“Underlying questions as to how we might classify the works’ content and style according to the binaries and short hands to which we are accustomed abound,” writes Cassie Packard in the catalogue essay. “Are these compositions figurative or abstract? Real or fictive? Graphic or sculptural? And are the forms static or dynamic?” In experiencing Ross’ work, one must embrace multiplicity and ambiguity. After all, Ross says, “I’m interested in the confusion of the senses and the confusion of understanding, and the complexity of that confusion.”