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Transformations: The Cabinet Card Paintings of Alex Gross 2012 - 2019
Transformations is a collection of mixed media paintings by Alex Gross. On each page, he “transforms” a vintage cabinet card photograph into a pop culture character, through painting with acrylic and oil paints. Popular superheroes and supervillains, famous musicians, science fiction and fantasy characters, movie monsters, and many more all make appearances in this book.
Alex has been building this body of work for over a decade now and it continues to grow in popularity. This book shows each image before it was painted upon, and afterwards. Showing precisely how each image was altered adds a uniquely enjoyable aspect to this art book.
Alex has been building this body of work for over a decade now and it continues to grow in popularity. This book shows each image before it was painted upon, and afterwards. Showing precisely how each image was altered adds a uniquely enjoyable aspect to this art book.
216 pages, Hardcover
Published October 29, 2019
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 23, 2020
I discovered Alex Gross' cabinet card paintings while traveling. I've always sought out bookshops while traveling and, in recent years, have begun trying to build them into my trips visiting local or famous bookshops. I found this book at Hicklebee's near San Jose. I picked it up as a novelty flipped through it, put it down and kept browsing. Ever so often, though, I would circle back to it. After a few more circles around the store, I decided to get it. (I don't know how many times one can be drawn to book before fate takes over and the book demands to be yours - but I'm fairly certain there's a magic number out there.)
By the time I got it, and the time I finally sat down and went through each page intentionally, it ceased to be novelty. What I think makes these standout is that Alex Gross isn't merely painting over antique pictures. He, to borrow the title, transforms them while, at the same time, keeping the essence of the person being painted over. I think what keeps this from staying in that novelty lane is that the photos dictated the transformation. In all but one or two the person being transformed is truly recognizable under their new painted cosplay. Gross keeps the people there - especially the eyes.
Now there is also the question of if it is right to paint over such pictures. (This has been raised in reviews of an earlier Gross volume.) I don't entirely know. The steps Gross takes, as mentioned above, certainly alleviate most of my reservations. In the hands of a less sure artist, perhaps this would miss the mark entirely. It also helps that, particularly in the volume (I cannot speak for the other), the original photos live on next to their transformation.
By the time I got it, and the time I finally sat down and went through each page intentionally, it ceased to be novelty. What I think makes these standout is that Alex Gross isn't merely painting over antique pictures. He, to borrow the title, transforms them while, at the same time, keeping the essence of the person being painted over. I think what keeps this from staying in that novelty lane is that the photos dictated the transformation. In all but one or two the person being transformed is truly recognizable under their new painted cosplay. Gross keeps the people there - especially the eyes.
Now there is also the question of if it is right to paint over such pictures. (This has been raised in reviews of an earlier Gross volume.) I don't entirely know. The steps Gross takes, as mentioned above, certainly alleviate most of my reservations. In the hands of a less sure artist, perhaps this would miss the mark entirely. It also helps that, particularly in the volume (I cannot speak for the other), the original photos live on next to their transformation.
Displaying 1 of 1 review