Xenomorph

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

“Xenomorph” is a recent painting of mine that made its debut at the 9th Annual Dia de los Muertos & Monster Factory art show at City Arts Factory in Downtown Orlando, FL last week.  For long-time readers of this blog, you know that I have set for myself a few parameters for creating art in the last two years, namely to paint only things I really care about and to always push myself artistically.  With that in mind, I set out to tackle the greatest movie monster of all time… the xenomorph from the “Alien” franchise.

The “Alien” films (the original four, not “Prometheus” or “Covenant”) mean a lot to me and I wanted to celebrate them and also challenge myself as an artist.  I felt a lot of pressure when creating this piece, not just because I wanted to get the image technically right, but because I cared so much about the subject matter I wanted my homage to be… well… worthy, I guess.  I was inspired by the alien from the original film, but I wanted to highlight the biomechanical aspect of the creature, so I took a few liberties and made it my own.  That meant a lot of silver paint, but the final effect is pretty awesome.

“Xenomorph” is on view at City Arts Factory through November 9th.

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I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.