Alexander Alter
Alexander has an extensive background in art and design practice. Starting with his education at high school attending C.W.Jefferies’s Art Program, and then followed by The Ontario College of Art and Design, with his graduate work being done at the International renowned Cranbrook Academy of Art in the US.
After returning from the US, he worked as a designer for two Toronto based design firms prior to starting his own company. His projects included a range of design applications from graphic to interior and corporate work. His process took clients from conceptual and development stages to implementation to create design identity continuity. Alexander’s client list included, Du pont Canada, Trican and Alfred Sung. Alexander also worked as a Art Director within the magazine industry, including, C Magazine, Saturday Night, as well as the Directors Guild of Canada’s Montage.
As full as his work schedule was he still included time for his personal work. From drawing and printmaking to photo collage work. Where he then developed a strong interest in photography, which evolved into his photomontage work. He is presently working on developing his photomontage skills, which is a combination of found images along with his own photography which is then incorporated with his drawings.
Drawing upon visual cues from the 1960’s, when growing up in the north end of Toronto, Alexander source’s his inspiration from his suburban surroundings. His first memories of Art were within his home: doodling done on scrap pieces of envelopes in the kitchen by his Mother. By incorporating these drawings along with his own, he explores new forms in interrupting photomontage. As Canadians, English and French are considered our Mother Tongues, but “images” the memories of our surroundings are as much a language as the spoken word. I have come to call this my “Native-Tongue”.
Presently he is a full-time faculty at Ryerson University in the Image Arts program of Photography, he previously taught for 14 years at the Ontario College of Art and Design in the Design program.
MFA., in Graphic Design, Cranbrook Academy of Art
A.O.C.A., in Fine Art & Design, Ontario College of Art & Design