Mardi de Veuve Alexis

Mardi de Veuve Alexis is a California abstract artist born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area.  While she grew up in a family of artists, she began seriously studying art and design after a temporary move to Alexandria, VA in the 1980s, where she took classes at the Torpedo Factory and in Washington D.C. at the Corcoran School of Art. Upon returning to California, she studied at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)  at the School of Architecture and Interior Design. Mardi has been painting professionally for a more than a decade, experimenting with combinations of various media and textural effects, mixing charcoal, ink, pastel, acrylics and collage. Her current body of work is inspired by urbanism and street art incorporating contemporary modes of communication like graffiti in an urban environment. A frequent international traveller, her work is inspired by cultural diversity and her interpretation of the human condition and the global environment.   Mardi’s paintings and drawings have been shown and collected throughout California, Texas, Stockholm, Sweden; Croatia; Belgrade, Serbia; and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Collage, mixed media, line and textural effects characterize Mardi’s current body of work on canvas, panel and paper that is largely focused on urbanism and aerial landscapes. She is a member of Los Angeles Art Association; the Artist Council of the Palm Springs Art Museum; a member of the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council; a member of the La Quinta Arts Foundation, an active Member of Women Painters West and an Exhibiting Member of California Art League, of the Joshua Tree Art Gallery and Gallery 62.

Exhibitions:

“California Dreaming”
April 1- May 3, 2017
Izen Miller Gallery
Palm Desert, CA

Gallery 62
Members Gallery Exhibition
February 28 – March 28
Joshua Tree, CA

“Artistic Expressions of the Coachella Valley”
University of California Riverside-Palm Desert Center
March 3 – April 23, 2017
Curated by Palm Springs Art Museum – Artist Council

“Desert A-Z”
Annual Palm Springs Juried Art Show
February 3-25, 2017
Curated by the City of Palm Springs Public Arts Commission

“Personal Narrative”
February 28-June 4, 2017
Annenberg Community Beach House
Santa Monica, CA
Curated by Sheli Silverado and Diane Williams

“Love in Deed”
February 3-19, 2017
Topanga Gallery, Topanga, CA
Curator, Raul De La Sota

“Convergence”
–Expressions of Change
December 10, 2016-January 7, 2017
Joshua Tree Art Gallery, Joshua Tree, CA
Curator, Frederick Fulmer

“Energy & Stillness: A National Abstract Exhibit”
October 22 – November 13, 2016
Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA

“Systems + Process”
Angel City Brewery Gallery
October 7 – November 4, 2016
Los Angeles, CA
Curated by Sheli Silverado and Diane Williams

“Urbana” solo exhibition
New Cooking School Café,
April-July, 2016
Culver City, CA
Curated by Ilana Bloch

Topanga Canyon Gallery Juried Show – January 2015
Curated by Michael Zakian
Topanga, CA

Winter Exhibition: Santa Monica Studios – Arena One Gallery – 2015
Curated by Jim Morphesis
Santa Monica, CA

Segil Fine Art – “Summer Solstice” – June/July, 2014
Monrovia, CA

California Art League, Blinn House  “In The City” – January 2014
Pasadena, CA 

Breadbar Bistro, Century City (solo exhibition) – 2013-2014
Los Angeles, CA

Winter Exhibition: Santa Monica Studios – Arena One Gallery – 2013
Santa Monica, CA

Gallery Y  – 2013
Los Angeles, CA

Studio 33 Exhibit  “Bloch Party” – Designer Services Gallery (DSG) – 2011
Los Angeles, CA

Women Painters West – 90 Years – DSG – 2011
Los Angeles, CA

Encino Terrace Center, Multi-Media Exhibition – 2011
Encino, CA

Studio 33 Exhibit “Bloch Party” – DSG – 2010
Los Angeles, CA

“Chaos and Order” at Arena 1 Gallery  –  2010
Santa Monica, CA

VOCA Gallery  –  2010
Curated by Women Painters West
Venice Beach, CA

Studio 33 Exhibit – DSG – 2009
Los Angeles, CA

Orrefors Kosta Boda Gallery (solo exhibition) – 2008
Costa Mesa, CA

ArtHouse Gallery – 2008
Curated by Ilana Bloch
Santa Monica, CA

Artist Statement

My new body of work is inspired by an evolving local urban environment, urbanization as a condition, and contemporary culture.  Working for the past three years from my Venice, CA studio, I was viscerally impacted by the changing neighborhood and demographics: There is the noise and energy of new construction. Resulting structures are rising vertically to unexpected new heights, marginalizing once amply sun lit creative spaces.  Graffiti of all shapes and sizes most often depicted on the grey backdrop of concrete, has become rampant as an exciting urban art form communicating an evolving cultural diversity. This is change and evolution, disturbing and exciting at the same time.

As an abstract artist, I typically communicate a theme and tonal palette with pattern, mark making, layering and textural effects through mixed media and collage. I strive to communicate beauty and elements of design readily visible in virtually all aspects of everyday life, if only we look. As far as process goes, I allow myself the freedom to express without judgment or boundaries. Thoughts and ideas spill out on canvas, panel or paper. Drawings, layered patterns, shapes, colors and textures are merged, transformed and energized with paint, stained papers or newsprint, mylar and other materials.  Although passionate about color, I often stick to a neutral palette, working with velvety black charcoal, inks, gouache and acrylic paints, with just an occasional surprise of pigment.