Artwork Description
Cathedral AP Artist Proof Artwork Giclee Limited Edition Print on 290gsm Fine Art Paper by Pop Culture Graffiti Artist Kari-Lise Alexander.
AP Artist Proof 2017 Signed & Marked AP Limited Edition Giclee Artwork Size 18x18
Kari-Lise Alexander’s Cathedral: The Fluidity of Identity in Contemporary Pop-Inspired Surrealism
Kari-Lise Alexander’s Cathedral, released as an 18 x 18 inch signed Artist Proof in 2017, presents a hypnotic portrait that blends photorealistic precision with elements of surreal distortion. This giclée print on 290gsm fine art paper captures a figure partially obscured by cascading water, flowers, and organic abstraction. The subject, a pale-skinned woman draped in vibrant blossoms, is simultaneously present and vanishing, her body dissolving into fluid motion. The transparency of water acts as a veil, distorting reality and transforming the portrait into a meditation on impermanence, transformation, and self-concealment. Alexander, known for her figurative surrealism, often incorporates themes of water, femininity, and nature into her work. In Cathedral, she positions the viewer as both witness and intruder, observing a moment of private reflection through a barrier of falling water. The water does not merely frame the composition—it reshapes it. Faces blur. Petals smear. The painting becomes an active space where emotion is filtered through liquid movement. This dynamic use of transparency offers more than visual interest; it becomes a metaphor for the slippery, ever-shifting boundaries of personal identity.
Hyperreal Texture Meets Atmospheric Abstraction
The interplay between realism and abstraction in Cathedral is deliberate and poetic. The figure’s facial expression is rendered with lifelike accuracy—delicate shadows, tightly painted features, and emotional weight. Yet her body, partially hidden by wet streaks and botanical textures, seems to dissolve into the background. This creates a tension between what is defined and what is disappearing. Kari-Lise Alexander utilizes oil-like effects in a digital print medium to mimic the unpredictability of nature and the complexity of inner life. The circular framing device behind the figure may evoke the architectural structure implied by the title. A cathedral, often associated with spiritual sanctuary and towering form, contrasts with the vulnerability of the exposed body and the ephemeral texture of water. The contrast suggests that the true place of worship in this work is not stone or space, but the internal landscape of emotion and memory. The circle becomes both halo and lens—focusing the viewer’s attention while abstracting the context.
Symbolism of Nature and the Female Form
In Cathedral, floral imagery serves as more than decorative flourish. The dense crown of peonies, berries, and green vines placed on the figure’s shoulders connects her to cycles of life and growth. The flowers are not merely worn—they appear to grow from her, reinforcing a fusion between the natural world and the self. Water, often a recurring motif in Kari-Lise Alexander’s paintings, amplifies this symbolism. It signifies renewal, decay, and emotional release all at once. In combination, these elements create a visual language where the feminine body becomes both the temple and the terrain. Though not strictly situated within traditional Street Pop Art & Graffiti Artwork, Cathedral echoes contemporary movements that challenge the line between classical portraiture and cultural commentary. The work’s ethereal energy, paired with its striking surface distortion, aligns it with a broader pop-influenced aesthetic that merges beauty with introspection, and figuration with experimentation. Kari-Lise Alexander's work expands the vocabulary of modern surrealism by using tactile realism to explore the unseen interior—turning emotion, memory, and transformation into arresting visual experiences.
