Alexander James Hamilton

Transparency of a Dream [0813-28]

2013-18

Alexander James Hamilton's practice is driven by a lifelong interest in field observation, scientific discovery with a prominence in exploring the liquid mechanics of water. He believes it is his role to make the concerns of art relevant to society at large, a crucial means for turning thinking into doing, in the world; spanning sculpture, painting, photography, film, lighting and installation. Not limited by the architectural confines of the art world, his practice engages the broader public sphere through interventions within natural landscapes and civic spaces alike, arts education, policy-making, issues of sustainability and ecocide. From the very beginning he has maintained an explorative dedication to the analogue camera process, producing works underwater and documenting them on medium and large format cameras without the use of post production. Since 2013 all photographic works are unique, with no editions ever to be released. The current reproducible capacity of photography is both its force and its failing, he is provoked by the notion that a painting is intrinsically more valuable than a photograph primarily because of its singular uniqueness. To counter this perception, he now only produces unique prints from each work in an attempt to challenge the ideas concerning the spiritual and economic valuation of artworks and to create an exciting tension between their individual present and relinquished, reproducible past.