Artist Statement

Austin draws inspiration from the powerful, graphic images of Soviet era propaganda and Socialist Realism. In this work we see his own familial and personal histories reflected, both of which are steeped in military tradition, blind patriotism, false promises, and intra-personal struggle. 

Through the use of a colorful palette juxtaposed with confrontational, often violent, subject matter Austin’s work aims to subvert traditional propaganda narratives to convey stories and ideas that strike closer to the heart of the truth. “I think about my grandfather, a decorated combat veteran of Vietnam, and how he was lauded as a hero publicly, but meniced his own family in private. I think about my own father, an abrasive Drill Sergeant, whose double life as an amateur thespian drove conflict with his identity as a military man.”  

— Through this lens Austin portrays a more nuanced version of reality than what we are used to seeing. A reality in which prosperity appears just beyond the reach of his subjects; immortalized, frozen, trapped, in the pursuit of the unobtainable.

Austin Alphonse (°1994, Monmouth, New Jersey) lives and works in Los Angeles by way of New York City and holds a degree in Graphic Design from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.