My work deals with the sisyphean struggle of those caught between worlds. Villains with moral integrity, martyrs of unholy causes, mothers of macho men. I am endlessly inspired by the powerful, graphic images of soviet era propaganda as well as my own familial history, both of which are steeped in military tradition, blind patriotism, and bouts of intense intra-personal struggle. Through this lens, I portray a simplified vision of prosperity which appears just beyond the reach of my subjects; immortalized, frozen, trapped, in the heroic pursuit of the unobtainable

Austin Alphonse (°1994, Monmouth, New Jersey) lives and works in Brooklyn, New York by way of New Hampshire and holds a degree in Graphic Design from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.