In collaboration with Corridor Contemporary (Tel Aviv) and the Galerie Enrico Navarra, we are presenting an exhibition by the American artist Alec DeMarco, featuring a selection of works on canvas and paper created between 2022 and 2023.
Born in 1989 in the state of Washington, USA, Alec DeMarco grew up in a small hunting and fishing village where it rains all year round. DeMarco passed the time by consuming everything he could read or watch. In his late teens, he went through a difficult period during which his best friend committed suicide, and he suffered a heart attack and came close to death. These near-death experiences helped fuel his desire to find a genuine way to express himself—and art presented itself as the ideal solution. He explored various forms of artistic expression, ranging from folk art to graffiti adorning train cars in the factories and refineries of his village, to medieval book illustrations. He quickly grew tired of various mediums for which an answer or guide already existed. « Art is the only thing that holds my attention. »
In 2012, after enrolling in the Fine Arts program in Southern California, he left everything behind to enlist in a formal apprenticeship under a renowned Japanese tattoo master, a transformative experience that allows her to discover brush calligraphy.
DeMarco defines his creative approach as « a constant battle between my conscious brain trying to define things and my subconscious fighting to stay abstract. »
Suffering from aphantasia, a neurological condition that deprives him of any ability to mentally visualize anything, it is therefore «literally impossible for him to imagine what a painting will look like before making it,» which is probably the reason for his rapid and intuitive execution process.
Originally, there is always a sketch of the work, the result of a blend of ideas inspired by music, films, those around him, events from his past, etc. Then he lets himself be guided unconsciously. « When I truly paint, I enter a bubble and my mind and body go numb, my hand and arm moving as if they have a mind of their own. »After a certain time, he becomes aware of the work he has just accomplished, and decides to erase certain parts... and develop others.« I let everything flow, I turn the music up full blast, and I let my mind be as free as a leaf on a stream just going with the flow, [...] and, before I even realize it, the painting is finished. »
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in 1989 in Cathlamet, Washington, Alec DeMarco discovered art through the graffiti on freight trains. As a tattoo artist, he spent three years alongside his Japanese master, learning brush calligraphy and the world of yōkai. Living with aphantasia, he paints from memory: he draws his lines in ink before filling them with color, in a language of fluid curves and recurring eyes. In 2024, The Beast and the Boy was shown at Galerie 75 Faubourg.
Sign up for our newsletter
Contact us
Publisher: Doriano Navarra
Site hosted by: Scaleway – Headquarters: 8 rue de la Ville l’Evêque, 75008 Paris
In accordance with Law No. 78-17 of January 6, 1978, known as «Data Protection and Civil Liberties,» you have the right to access, modify, rectify, and delete your personal data. You may exercise this right by submitting a simple request by mail to Galerie Enrico Navarra – 75, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré 75008 Paris – France or by email to presse@enriconavarra.com.
If you wish to ask us questions regarding our privacy policy or the use of your personal data, you can contact us at press@enriconavarra.com.
By browsing our site, you are informed and agree that your personal data may be collected on the site and used by it, which acts as data controller within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (hereinafter referred to as the «General Data Protection Regulation» or «GDPR»).
We are committed to protecting and ensuring the security and confidentiality of your personal data in accordance with the GDPR, including by taking all necessary precautions to prevent this data from being distorted, damaged, or accessed by unauthorized third parties.
The elements present on this site (logos, texts, photos) are the exclusive property of Galerie Enrico Navarra. Any use, reproduction, or modification, even partial, of these elements without the agreement of Galerie Enrico Navarra is prohibited.
The information collected during your visit to the site is exclusively intended for internal use and will not be communicated to third parties for commercial purposes, except with your authorization.
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. («Google»). Google Analytics uses cookies, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site.
The data generated by cookies about your use of the site (including your IP address) will be transmitted and stored by Google on servers located in the United States. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the site, compiling reports on site activity for its editor, and providing other services relating to site activity and internet usage.
Google may share this data with third parties if legally required or if the third parties process this data on behalf of Google, including, but not limited to, the publisher of this site. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google.
You can disable the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. However, doing so may prevent the use of certain features of this site. By using this website, you expressly consent to the processing of your personal data by Google under the conditions and for the purposes described above.
