Northern Lights I

Rey Alfonso’s new series Northern Lights references the Aurora Borealis, one of nature’s most beautiful paintings. Ruminating on climbing and kayaking adventures in the Pacific Northwest, these works explore the artist’s observation of the landscape at night. Color fields of electric neon pinks, yellows, and greens dance in harmony with deep blues and dark grays. With each stroke of a brush and each curvilinear shape carved, a celestial display unfolds, speaking to the mystery and majesty of the Northern Lights. These works reflect on the awe inspiring beauty of the heavens after dark when their colors are shown at their best and brightest. As Mark Rothko said, “A painting is not a picture of an experience, but is the experience.” Rey’s newest collection of works is then both a painting evoking natural beauty and a window looking out at the Northern Lights.