Alexis Rockman is a contemporary American painter known for his fantastical paintings of dystopian natural environments. Born on September 5, 1962, in New York, NY, Rockman tackles ecological issues—such as climate change and species extinction—through his large-scale artworks. Part-artist, part-activist, he confronts pressing social issues head on through carefully rendered paintings of animals and their rapidly changing environments. “I come from a tradition of activism,” he has explained, noting his belief in “the idea that art can make a difference in terms of political change.” A student at the Art Student’s League and the Rhode Island School of Design before earning a BFA at the School of Visual Arts in 1985, Rockman currently lives and works in New York, NY. His mid-career retrospective was on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2010.

Trillium, 2017, Watercolor, ink, and acrylic on paper, 74 x 52 in.

Horn of Plenty, 2012, oil on wood, 72 x 84 in.

The Cuyahoga River, 2019, oil on wood panel, 72 x 192 in.

Battle Royale, 2011, oil and alkyd on wood panel, 96 x 216 in.

Fragments, 1998, oil on wood, 64 x 96 in.

The Farm, 2000, oil on wood panel, 96 x 120 in.

Manifest Destiny, 2000-2004, oil on wood, 96 x 288 in.

Tigris and Euphrates River, 2010, oil and resin on wood panel, 84 x 72 in.

The Raft, 2010, oil and resin on wood panel 50 x 70 in.

A Recent History of the World, 1997-8, oil and acrylic on wood, 48 x 255.75 in.
Alexis Rockman
Exhibitions
