⁷¹⁹ ⁷⁶¹ ⁷⁸⁷⁸
ˢᵒˡ.ᵃˡᵈⁱⁿᵍᵉʳ@ᵍᵐᵃⁱˡ.ᶜᵒᵐ
ᴵⁿˢᵗᵃ@ˢᵒˡᵃˡᵈⁱⁿᵍᵉʳᵃʳᵗ
ˢᵒˡ.ᵃˡᵈⁱⁿᵍᵉʳ@ᵍᵐᵃⁱˡ.ᶜᵒᵐ
ᴵⁿˢᵗᵃ@ˢᵒˡᵃˡᵈⁱⁿᵍᵉʳᵃʳᵗ
Sol Aldinger combines acrylic painting, relics, and elements of nature to create altarpieces and installations that spotlight beauty in the grotesque- flesh, mold, rust, and decay. By abstracting the textures and patterns of nature and the body, he explores the synchronicities between his internal landscape and the living world around him.
The process is a guiding force in creating his altarpieces, which are as intricate as bizarre. Rather than conceiving an idea before he makes it, Aldinger begins by collecting found objects from his environment and searching for parts of himself within them. In the remote forests of Wisconsin, he was inspired by insects, animal sightings, and rock and tree formations. In metro Denver, it is the obscure items discarded in gutters, and the watching eyes staring down at him from Frank Azar billboards.
Aldinger grew up in Michigan, homeschooled alongside six of his siblings. They spent most of their time playing outside, crafting make-believe universes in nature. This is where he first began collecting found objects from his environment and encountering synchronicities and symbolic thinking. From early on he had a fascination with inner-city Detroit; the murals and colorful characters who filled the streets, but especially the way the city was decaying before his eyes. Many buildings were left abandoned and deteriorating, but he took an interest in a particular neighborhood. “The Heidelberg Project” stands as a monument to the many homes which fell victim to arson. The houses are covered in found objects and bright colors to transform the neighborhood into a local legend; alchemizing beauty from violence and devastation.
Witnessing this symbolic reclamation shaped Aldinger’s artistic lens and personal mythology, the meaning he derives from symbols in the world around him. Stories are imbued into his artwork, embedded in objects with stored energy and memory. The artist uses his work to help map out his somatic memories, express his trans identity, and confront his relationship with his physical body.
After graduating in 2020 with a BFA in painting from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Aldinger established himself as an active part of Denver’s local artist community. He is a youth advocate and art educator for Pop Culture Classroom and The Clyfford Still Museum. He is also a youth art mentor at RedLine Contemporary Art Center.
