Andy Warhol in Color by Alex Guofeng Cao

Artist Alex Guofeng Cao, best known for his work in black and white, bursts into the art scene with vivid colors and innovative mosaic-styled art works. With colors inspired by masters; Warhol, Rothko, Matisse, Munch and photographic methods by Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Edward Weston, and Robert Mapplethorpe, Cao has created works of art that resonate on a global scale.

Of late his photographic creativity has leaned towards large-scale monochromatic digital works, namely a series called “Legend.” Explaining the cryptic imagery, Cao reveals, “I’m fascinated by icons and celebrity. I have worked with many from Lindsay Lohan to Tommy Lee Jones, they shared a common musicality that translates internationally.”

The “Legend” series sees a melding of two contrasting artistic techniques. Images of pop culture icons, Andy Warhol, Pam Anderson, Marilyn Monroe, Lady Di, are reinvented and reinterpreted care of Cao’s dexterous hand and creative vision.

Technically, Cao says that despite his fascination with the digital medium, monochrome tradition is something he still romanticizes, “The subtle gradations of tone between deep black and stark white are the generators for all the colors I need to create my world.”