“I found myself trying to translate these moments, feelings of quiet relaxation and mediation through my work to try to hold onto them, prolong them, and to share their solace with those that looking at my paintings. I want to offer an escape, a place to sit, to stand, to rest and observe to take the place of the missing inhabitants."
—Alfie Caine
British born Alfie Caine made his first auction debut at the Whitechapel Gallery Art Icon Auction hosted by Phillips in January 2023, and has since been a strong feature in Phillips’ main season Modern and Contemporary sales. The 28-year old artist is internationally recognised having exhibited in London, Seoul, Los Angeles and has forthcoming exhibitions in Paris with Massimo de Carlo Gallery and New York at the Independent Art Fair represented by Cob Gallery. Having launched his career studying architecture at Cambridge University, Caine’s thoughtful compositions are inspired by his surroundings, architectural education and contemplations of daily life. Precise architectural forms, dramatic shadows, and layered landscapes heightened by a vibrant colour palette all contribute to establishing Caine’s signature dreamscapes.
Created in 2021, Caine’s Pots and Wildflowers presents a moody dreamscape which is articulated by a hybrid interior-exterior scene. Warm pink, orange and brown hues simultaneously create a harmonious, peaceful atmosphere whilst illuminating a meticulously designed domestic setting – indicative of his architectural training. The stark contrast of light and strong mathematical forms punctuates the architecture of the scene, and allows the artist to toy with the viewer’s gaze. The central fiery glow of the table and lamp lure the viewer to realise the focal point of the canvas. Our eyes are led through the windowpane into the cool, moonlit exterior and are guided by the delicate curvature of the lake back into the foreground. It is here, once the viewer has floated through Caine’s intricate composition we are invited to pause, enjoy this familiar moment of daily life, and ‘escape from everything’.
In comparison to his earlier, more phosphorescent works such as Interior with Sunflowers at Sunset (2020) and Midday Sun (2020), Pots and Wildflowers (2021) uses a darker palette to convey an evening ambience. Caine’s dreamscapes combine the natural world with the artificial, evident here in the piercing moonbeams illumination of the interior scene. The moon is mysteriously hidden yet its presence is indicated by the bright reflection on the water and radiance against the clouds. Deep purple hues cast looming, layered shadows and contrast the central glow of the interior. The fluid brushstrokes on the outdoor foliage creates a dynamism and atmosphere that a gentle breeze is flowing through both spaces, unifying the canvas and idealising the dreamscape. Large block colours of the deep blue sky, green hills and the pink rug juxtapose the minute details of the wispy floral arrangements, wooden grooves and delicately painted shelves. Yet, a nod to his previous neon palette is reminiscent in the luminous accents of yellow outlining the pots, proving his ability to translate light and shadow through a vibrant colour palette.
The artist strives for his canvases to visualise the imaginary and ‘give a permanence and new life to fleeting moments, memories and dreams.' Pots and Wildflowers suggests humanity is present, yet no sole figure occupies the space. However, the tilted, open stance of the chairs - the only element of asymmetry in the picture – welcomes the viewer to step into Caine’s idealised world and contemplate who the missing inhabitants could be. Their absence could be fleeting, as is the viewers presence, but meanwhile we are compelled to delve into Caine’s illusive flux and question who this dreamscape belongs to – does is belong to the artist, another entity, or is it ours?
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Among a new wave of young British artists, Alfie Caine is known for his intricately constructed, surreal architectural landscapes that combine both the biographical and the imagined to create his luminescent, uncanny scenes of the domestic interior and the natural world.
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Since his inaugural solo exhibition What Lies Beyond with Union Gallery in London (2021), the former Cambridge architecture student has been the subject of solo shows internationally, including with Jarilager Gallery in Seoul (2022) and most recently with Massimo de Carlo in Paris (2024).
