“Alexis Trice: Exploring Themes of Longing Through ‘Pearls'”
# Exploring Alexis Trice’s *Deep Sea, Swallow Me*: A Tale of Memory, Light, and Emotion Through Art
New York City-based artist Alexis Trice has a fascinating way of weaving together personal memories, symbolic narratives, and historical techniques in her recent exhibition *Deep Sea, Swallow Me*. Presented as part of KDR Gallery’s residency at Long Story Short Gallery in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, this deeply evocative collection has captivated viewers and transported them into an otherworldly realm where emotion, memory, and light intertwine seamlessly.
## **An Exhibition Rooted in Imagination and Symbolism**
Trice’s artistic journey often begins in the depths of her imagination, and this collection is no exception. Through her luminous paintings on canvas, panel, and even shells, Trice reflects on the ways memory and emotion interact, blending the figurative with the surreal. A recurring motif is the pearl, a natural wonder that forms around an irritant in mollusks. For Trice, the pearl becomes a fitting metaphor for resilience and the transformative power of pain—an idea she expresses visually by creating bright, self-illuminated scenes with a dreamlike quality.
The exhibition, curated by Katia David Rosenthal, invites viewers to experience these reflections. Titled after Trice’s painting *Deep Sea, Deep Sea, Swallow Me* (2024), the works reference literary inspirations such as Herman Melville’s *Moby Dick*, tying their themes to concepts of vastness, memory, and yearning. Trice’s love for natural elements, such as water fountains and waterfalls, enriches her scenes with vivid movement and symbolism.
## **Old Master Techniques in a Contemporary Context**
One of the most striking aspects of Trice’s work is her adaptation of the techniques of the Old Masters. She begins her process with an imprimatura base layer—a thin layer of pigment that sets the tone of the painting—followed by a grisaille layer. This method involves rendering the composition in shades of gray to define values and textures before later applying multiple layers of colored glaze to achieve depth and luminosity. The result is a timeless, ethereal glow that invites comparisons to works by Renaissance and Baroque-era painters, yet her approach remains firmly contemporary.
For example, in her painting *I Had a Dream I Was Crying* (2024), Trice combines this time-honored method with her distinctly intimate and illustrative style. Strong foreground elements like candles or animal figures are often juxtaposed with misty backdrops resembling expansive seascapes. These low-horizon compositions evoke nostalgia, portraying landscapes not as they are but as they linger in the mind’s eye.
## **Catharsis Through Art: A Subtle yet Powerful Narrative**
What makes Trice’s art especially poignant is its ability to evoke profound emotion while leaving space for interpretation. Tears, tongues, and other physical symbols of touch, consumption, and communication recur across her works, hinting at themes of longing, connection, and catharsis. Her love of layering becomes symbolic as well, with each translucent glaze offering a deep well of potential associations—a layering of time, emotion, and reflection.
The namesake painting, *Deep Sea, Deep Sea, Swallow Me*, exemplifies these themes. Its depiction of a sea mammal perched in a velvety, atmospheric marine environment simultaneously suggests vastness and intimacy. Trice captures movement and time—a fountain of life ever in flow—while reflecting the idea of being consumed by the immensity of one’s emotions or surroundings.
As Herman Melville’s *Moby Dick* narrator famously observed, “Real strength never impairs beauty or harmony, but it often bestows it; and in everything imposingly beautiful, strength has much to do with the magic.” Trice embodies this sentiment within her work, marrying strength and vulnerability in her depictions.
## **A Lyrical Approach to Modern Art**
Trice’s ability to cast her meaning just beyond the viewer’s grasp is part of what makes her work compelling. Her lyrical compositions draw individuals into a meditative space where associations flow freely. It’s not just what is painted, but what is implied—the distance between the immediate visual impact and the stirring of memories within the viewer.
Her work aligns with many of the prevailing trends in modern painting: a return to craftsmanship, a reverence for traditional methods, and a deliberate sidestepping of overt or conceptual narratives in favor of emotional storytelling. Trice’s style feels fresh yet rooted, as though pulling from a reservoir of collective memory.
## **Where Emotion Meets Technique**
Beyond her skillful brushwork and emotional depth, Alexis Trice reminds us of the introspective power of art. Her creations move viewers, offering not only visual beauty but also a contemplative space for revisiting their private fears, joys, and longings.
The exhibition, *Deep Sea, Swallow Me