Alexis Rockman (b. 1962, New York City) describes his work as being pop art “using natural history as…iconography”.
As a child, Rockman would spend much of his time at the Museum of Natural History studying the fossils and wildlife reproductions. In addition to his childhood experiences, he also draws inspiration from the Hudson River School artists and science fiction filmmakers. His eerily futuristic landscapes, tinged with surrealism, are driven by themes of climate change, genetic engineering, evolution and industrialization.
Rockman embarks on expeditions to jungles all over the world researching species and their natural environment. He incorporates the natural world into his drawings not only as a subject matter, but also as his painting materials, creating “mud drawings” with the use of soil from his travels. They not only depict nature – they truly are nature.
Rockman’s works can be found in the Whitney Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Brooklyn Museum. Alexis Rockman lives and works in New York City.
Alexis worked with RxART on a site-specific project for a Children’s National outpatient clinic in Rockville, Maryland. His work is also featured in our Coloring Book Between the Lines, Vol. 5.