BRIAN ALFRED: Beauty Is A Rare Thing

"Among a grouping of new acrylic paintings and animations featuring architecture and hints of landscapes, the latter often seen through windows, this image is the only one with a figure—his wife, Yoshika. Other works in the group might include a glimpse of a person (and the second part of the show features portraits entirely), but this piece focuses our attention on the woman. Yoshika stands with her back to the viewer on what appears to be a balcony, her features reduced to a dark shadow backlit by the vibrant blue water and sky that spread across the vista in front of her. She, like the viewer, is looking out onto this serene expanse, holding up her camera to take a photo. In the distance are impressive mountains and cliffs. A closer look reveals a tunnel and passenger train. The title of the piece is Capturing the Moment (2023), a description of Yoshika’s act of photographing the scene before her, as well as a nod to Alfred’s own process of memorializing this exact moment."

- Annabel Keenan in "Beauty Is a Rare Thing" 

"In En Route (2023), a view of neatly partitioned plots of land appears through an airplane window, marking the start of a journey epitomized by the excitement and wonder of viewing the world from above. If En Route depicts the beginning of Alfred’s journey, perhaps Duty Free (2023) marks the end. As if preserving one last moment of the trip, the painting features a window that frames a colorful sky just outside an airport. A vibrant pink and yellow horizon suggests the onset of dusk or dawn, another example of the artist’s keen ability to portray the passage of time."

- Annabel Keenan in "Beauty Is a Rare Thing" 

"Alfred captures the ephemeral, silencing the noise of the world and focusing solely on the composition. In every image, there is a sense that he is not only preserving the memory of a place, but also the essence of a specific time. This show, Alfred tells me, is more personal than his others. Each image in this section is based on a photograph he has taken, or a creation of his own mind translated and flattened onto the canvas in bold colors and crisp lines."

- Annabel Keenan in "Beauty Is a Rare Thing"

"Beauty Is a Rare Thing also features a new body of portraits that recall this earlier series. Depicting musicians from different genres, ethnic backgrounds, and music scenes, such as the British producer and recording artist Jai Paul, the rapper Denzel Curry, and the bass player and singer-songwriter April Kae, the grouping represents the artist’s eclectic taste. Each portrait is set against a bare, off-white background—almost as if the artist has democratized their settings. Unlike most of the works in the show, which are based on Alfred’s own experiences and photographs, these portraits are sourced from images found on the Internet and social media. They add to the personal element of the show, offering insight into the songs that fill his studio and his daily life. Alfred’s appreciation of music is also apparent in the exhibition title itself, which references the song of the jazz musician Ornette Coleman."

- Annabel Keenan in "Beauty Is a Rare Thing"