Alex Gardner, “Liquidity,” 2026, Acrylic on canvas. Unframed: 72 x 72 inches, Framed: 75 7/8 x 75 3/4 x 5 inches. (Photo: Don Lewis. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.)
Interconnectedness and hope are two prevalent themes in artist Alex Gardner’s luminous new work, Animals, at Perrotin in Los Angeles. The show features 13 new paintings depicting Gardner’s classic faceless figures as they flow into and away from each other against backdrops of rich blues and greens. The paintings range in scale, with some canvases as small as 10 by 14 inches and others as large as 4 by 8 feet.
Animals marks Gardner’s first solo show in 10 years, and during that time he has become a father of two. This experience has had a profound impact on his work, which was previously more focused on the malaise and existentialism of humanity. Now, his paintings embrace a sense of connection and the beauty of coming together as people. He states that “I used to not depict youthful figures—or children, or babies—prior to having them, so that’s the biggest visual shift [in my work]. I’m not talking about fatherhood directly as much as I’m using kids as a symbol of optimism and hope for the future.”
In the paintings, glowing white shirts contrast with dark skin, and bodies in motion with each other, creating imagery that flows like water. The figures simultaneously blend into and stand apart from their backgrounds. In Big Toothy Grin, two small bodies hold each other, one in front of the other, with careful attention paid to the wrinkles on the figures’ white shirts. The creases in their clothes bend and move, emphasizing the physical closeness of the subjects. In Catapult, two figures grasp each other’s feet, their bodies creating a chain-like form as they cast shadows onto the blue background, exploring themes of intimacy and trust. In Headed to the Coffer, a figure walks across the canvas, using the heads of those below as stepping stones. The bright blue background, like a sunrise, invites a sense of lightness, while the heads being stepped on give the painting a disconcerting tenor.
It was important to Gardner that this show, at once, play with the idea of race while also resisting fixed identity and remaining intentionally open-minded. The paintings possess a cinematic rhythm, with figures appearing to drift across the canvas in interconnected movements. Their repeated gestures and physical contact create a sense of continuity that extends from one work to the next. This reflects the idea that it is impossible to separate the individual from the collective. In relation to the exhibition’s title, Animals, Gardner states, “Animals refers to all people being part of the human race…but it also has an aggressive, barbaric element to it [revealing] the nature of humans and how we are not as refined as we like to believe we are.”
The themes all come together to create a collection that serves as a visual representation of how time changes us, and we are connected through the experience of creation. In Animals, Gardner’s faceless figures become vessels for empathy and optimism, reflecting a meaningful evolution in his practice. Time will only tell what Gardner’s next show will explore.
Animals is on view until July 11, 2026, at Perrotin in Los Angeles, California.
Interconnectedness and hope are two prevalent themes in Long Beach-based artist Alex Gardner’s luminous new work, Animals, at Perrotin in Los Angeles.
Alex Gardner, “Headed To The Coffer,” 2026, Acrylic on canvas, Unframed: 48 x 48 inches. Framed: 50 7/8 x 50 7/8 x 50 3/4 x 4 inches. (Photo: Don Lewis. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.)
Alex Gardner, “Big Toothy Grin,” 2026, Acrylic on canvas. Unframed: 48 x 60 inches, Framed: 50 3/4 x 62 3/4 x 4 inches. (Photo: Don Lewis. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.)
Becoming a father of two has had a profound impact on Gardner’s work, which was previously more focused on the malaise and existentialism of humanity.
Portrait of Alex Gardner by Ammon Rost. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.
Alex Gardner, “Catapult,” 2025, Acrylic on canvas. Unframed: 48 1/16 x 96 1/16 inches, Framed: 51 7/8 x 99 3/4 x 5 inches. (Photo: Don Lewis. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.)
It was important to Gardner that this show, at once, play with the idea of race while also resisting fixed identity, remaining intentionally open-minded.
Alex Gardner, “Before Annihilation,” 2026, Acrylic on canvas. Unframed: 72 x 72 inches, Framed: 75 7/8 x 75 3/4 x 5 inches. (Photo: Don Lewis. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.)
Alex Gardner, “Primordial Beat,” 2026, Acrylic on canvas, Unframed: 36 x 36 inches, Framed: 38 7/8 x 38 3/4 x 4 inches. (Photo: Don Lewis. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.)
The themes come together to create a collection that serves as a visual representation of how time changes us, and we are connected through the experience of creation.
Exhibition view of Alex Gardner’s “Animals” at Perrotin Los Angeles, 2026. (Photo: Paul Salveson. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.)
Exhibition view of Alex Gardner’s Animals at Perrotin Los Angeles, 2026. (Photo: Paul Salveson. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin.)