BROOKLYN – Opening on September 7, 2024, The Williamsburg Biannual presents its inaugural exhibition, You Could Feel The Sky, a survey of Brian Alfred’s work from 2003 through the present. A reception celebrating the artist will be held on September 7, 2024 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm.

Made over the last two decades, You Could Feel The Sky is an overview of different bodies of Alfred’s work and will debut several never before exhibited pieces. Paintings, collages, and digital animations depict a range of scenes: domestic interiors, urban cityscapes, portraits of genre-bending musicians, and idyllic environmental vistas. Alfred’s imagery balances serene explorations of place, at times, with a post-human feeling of unease and impending caution.

Alfred’s process, honed over the past twenty five years, distills his source imagery to its most essential forms. Drawing technical and aesthetic inspiration from the Japanese ukiyo-e printmaking tradition, he builds the images through an architectural approach that is as in concert with tradition as it is with new media approaches. The work achieves a concurrent thin layering of surfaces and shapes with a depth of light and form. 

His imagery—a combination of his own experiences, imagined locations, and sourced imagery—explores the many facets of the current world we live in. From cascading waterfalls and Manhattan highrises to barren forests and spirited stadiums, each painting is an undeniable exemplar of Alfred’s oeuvre. His perspective both removes and embeds the viewer in the scenery, allowing us to see the world through his eyes. The resulting exhibition presents a reflective look at us as a people and a society through the landscape that we are leaving behind. You Could Feel The Sky will be on view until December 13, 2024.

Statement from founding Board of Directors:

“We are thrilled to launch the Williamsburg Biannual with You Could Feel The Sky. We share Brian Alfred’s commitment to the arts, education, and community. His creative practice exemplifies our mission to promote the arts, interdisciplinary dialogue, and experimentation. Moreover, his graphic style and modern aesthetic beautifully accentuate the architectural design of our art center.  We welcome the New York creative community and are excited to open our doors to the world.”