Alex Hutton is an artist whose fascination with rollercoasters and waterslides is evident in his meticulous oil paintings. Despite his interest in these thrilling structures, he admits that he never actually rides them due to his fear of heights and the sensation of free-fall. This fear adds an intriguing dimension to his artwork, which focuses on the architectural and engineering aspects of rollercoasters and waterslides.
In Hutton’s paintings, the absence of people and vehicles on the rides allows the viewer to focus on the intricate lines, volumes, and three-dimensional grids of the structures. The use of blank or brushy backgrounds further enhances the enigmatic and unpeopled atmosphere of his work. While rollercoasters and waterslides are typically associated with excitement and nostalgia, Hutton’s paintings present them in a still and stark manner, highlighting their pure engineering and design.
The artist draws inspiration from his love for PC games like Sim City and Rollercoaster Tycoon, where he was fascinated by the aesthetics of world-building from a bird’s-eye view. His paintings often feature rollercoasters, waterslides, boardwalks, bridges, landscapes, and structural framing, all rendered with precision and attention to detail. Many of his works are based on real-life constructions, such as the Super Whooper waterslide in Kobe, Japan, and the Meryal waterpark in Qatar.
Hutton’s upcoming exhibition at Main Projects in Richmond, Virginia, will showcase his latest works, which explore themes of movement, proportion, and color. He is also preparing for a solo exhibition at SHRINE in New York next year. Through his paintings, Hutton seeks to capture the absurdity and audacity of these monumental structures, inviting viewers to reconsider them from a new perspective.
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