Alyssa Klauer, February Morning II (Valentine), 2023; Hand-Embellished, Signed, and Numbered Limited Edition Print
Alyssa Klauer is a painter whose works meditate on “queer time,” the notion that queer individuals often experience a delayed or second adolescence when encountering time-bending experiences such as coming out later in life. Her practice captures a desire to repossess the memories of a hetero-temporal childhood, the precarity of a foreshortened future, and the beauty of queer rebirth. Based in Brooklyn, the artist received her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2017, and her MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2019. She has been awarded the 2021 TOY Foundation Fellowship alongside the 2021-2022 NXTHVN Studio Fellowship, and was nominated for the 2022 Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland Toby’s Prize. In addition to being written about in The New York Times and New American Paintings, her work has been exhibited at venues such as Sean Kelly Gallery, New York; Fredericks & Freiser, New York; and the Museum of Museums, Seattle.
February Morning II (Valentine) integrates forms drawn from papercut Valentine’s Day cards from the Victorian era. Klauer’s rendition is populated by the profiles and phantom-like facial features of various figures, arranged in a nearly symmetrical configuration. The artist imaginatively suspends her characters in a state of anticipation, as they await a note from their admirer on a green, spring-like Valentine’s Day morning. As in many of her other paintings, the work is defined by layers of saturated, yet transparent, paint that lend a ghostly luminosity. Using a multitude of techniques that include splattering, dyeing, and stenciling, Klauer weaves together seemingly incongruent images to build an intense, psychological space. The artist will additionally hand embellish the edition with metallic and iridescent paint to make each print unique.
Alyssa Klauer
February Morning II (Valentine), 2023
Archival pigment print
24 x 18 inches
Limited Edition of 15 with 5AP + 1PP
Hand-embellished, signed, and numbered by the artist
ART FOR CHANGE will donate 5% of the purchase price, up to $15,000, of each limited edition print sold towards the Alliance to help bolster its mission to sustain, restore and advance Prospect Park to benefit the diverse communities it serves. In keeping with all of our releases, all artists will receive 50% of the net proceeds from each print sale.
“I am thrilled to make this print for the Prospect Park Alliance, and to contribute to their mission of sustaining and restoring Prospect Park. I’ve been fortunate to have been able to visit the park often, and believe that it is an incredibly important resource for New Yorkers. Prospect Park is a haven that has provided a peaceful and inspiring environment that has enriched my life outside of the studio.”