Alex Cook is a public artist who had created over 220 murals in 20 states around the US and 4 countries. (www.stonebalancer.com) As creator of the YOU ARE LOVED Mural Project he works with organizations of all types including schools, prisons, shelters, and government organizations. These collaborations create love-focused murals (like the one downstairs at Common Street Spiritual Center!) that bring together the power of art and community to support a warmer, more loving society. (www.youarelovedmurals.com)

Alex will speak about his nation-wide work with the YOU ARE LOVED Project as well as show pictures of the process. Beyond the paintng process Alex will share how bringing this message of love to all kinds of locations has created conversations and even saved lives. On exhibit in the sanctuary are 10 of Alex’s newest works. He will discuss how creating YOU ARE LOVED murals opened the door to creating new work, revolutionizing his creative process.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

For most of my 30 years of art making my inclination has been to make representational art – pictures of things to tell a story or express a feeling.
The 10 works currently on display in the sanctuary represent a departure from that style. Having spent the last several years working on YOU ARE
LOVED murals whose content is only the lines, colors, and contrasts of words and letters, I have found myself much more interested in how to make
soulful, heartfelt work that uses only formal elements – line, color, and contrast – to create beauty.

The earliest of these works (on the right wall) were created improvisationally. I created patterns of color on the individual papers and
then arranged them to create the larger final piece. Later I realized I could arrange the papers first and then, still using the geometric patterns on each
paper, make a single image that would unify the piece. I began simply with the green and red rings and quickly moved to more complex images like the Floating Man.

In these 10 works you can see the development of my thinking from the earlier purely geometrical pieces on the right to the pieces on the left which
each contain an image created by or event through the geometrical patterns.
Enjoy!
Alex Cook, May 2023

Alex Cook is a public artist who had created over 220 murals in 20 statesaround the US and 4 countries. (www.stonebalancer.com) As creator of the
YOU ARE LOVED Mural Project he works with organizations of all types to make love-focused murals (like the one downstairs in this building!) that bring together the power of art and community to create a warmer, more loving society. (www.youarelovedmurals.com)