Known for ghostly, almost menacing graphite images that use pixilation and intricate hatching to blur the faces of his subjects, the work of artist D-L Alvarez is inspired by queer politics, Bauhaus assemblage and classic “slasher” films. Often highly conceptual, Alvarez’ drawings and installation works are intelligently macabre, delving into critical complexities of race, sexuality and social structure. In one such series, the artist renders elaborate, constructed horse costumes, hung on the wall, adorned in small sweaters, or rendered in anatomically correct plastic. Pushing the boundaries of unfinished unease, Alvarez’ provocative style pervades every aspect of his multi-faceted visual practice.

D-L Alvarez has exhibited consistently in New York and abroad since the mid-1990s, including shows at Jack Hanley Gallery, San Francisco; Derek Eller Gallery, New York; Kunsthaus, Dresden, Germany; Galeria Casado Santapau, Madrid; and Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, California. Group shows include the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco; The Drawing Center, New York; The Whitney Museum, New York; New Museum, New York; and the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles.