Alex Dodge
Soft Power
From the Artist
“In the balance between levity and gravity my work seeks refuge. Often, it’s through humor’s lens that we can confront the more difficult questions in life. Art is a form of serious play. Take this print, for instance—layered both metaphorically and literally. The playful allure of plush letters composing “Soft Power” has a deceptive simplicity.”
About the Artwork
In Dodge’s third print with Haystack, the artist boldly dives headfirst into a paradox. What does “Soft Power” look like? Dodge looked to the title to serve as his compass throughout the printmaking process, ensuring that every facet of the artwork possesses a consistent theme of softness.
Alex, a skilled printmaker, brings life to the plush, pillow-like letters by leveraging lithography’s tonal capabilities with screenprinting’s ability to impart tangible depth. His chosen color palette maintains an aura of subtlety, avoiding any stark contrasts or overly vibrant elements.
The final layer of the print incorporates meticulously applied electrostatic flocking. Not unlike textures found adorning model train landscapes or lining jewelry boxes, this velvety effect simultaneously enhances the softness of the piece while authoritatively tempting viewers to touch its surface.
Curatorial Opinion
Alex’s artworks, particularly his text-based pieces, are created to ignite conversations that extend beyond their visual allure. They serve as catalysts for thought, with Dodge’s formal decisions always being in direct service to his concepts. For example, by boasting four rounded corners, even the edges of Soft Power are not sharp. And moving inward, a reflective layer of mica powder gently appears and disappears, directing viewers to physically move themselves around the work. The culmination of these choices by the artist ingeniously mimics the inherent push-and-pull behind gentleness and strength, absolutism and autonomy, authority and self-rule.
About the Artist
Alex Dodge (b.1977, Denver, CO) is an internationally recognized artist. Although his works primarily take the final form of painting, his education and ever-growing knowledge of printmaking, coding software, and 3D design have led him to create some of the most innovative and cutting-edge techniques in art-making today.
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