LUCAS J ROUGEUX
Bio
Lucas J Rougeux, born in Niagara Falls, NY in 1995, is an interdisciplinary artist currently living and working in Washington DC. He acquired a Bachelor of Arts in 2017 at Alfred University with a focus in interdisciplinary art. He has exhibited in New York, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, and through online galleries. His work has been published in various zines and art publications. Through his practice, Lucas explores themes of sexuality, queerness, spirituality, light, and the intangible unknown. His work has been inspired by geometry, light, sensation of the body, the queerness of identity, gay history, and myth. True to his interdisciplinary education, Lucas utilizes a multitude of media including oil and watercolor paint, ink, charcoal and graphite, performance art, installation sculpture, textiles, and printmaking.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Energy is the main force of life and the drive of all things. My work showcases the manifestation of energy as prismatic light; fractured, moving, and both ordered and chaotic. Using geometric and linear aesthetics, I capture energy as something uncontained while acknowledging a sense of order. My chosen materials in chalk, pen and ink, watercolor and oil paint allow for a fluid and reactive making process which both replicates a sense of chaos and the intangible glow and radiance of light. Through myth and the spirituality of the soul, my work touches on the essence of an individual both in everyday uniqueness and the interconnected divine. My work peaks the intrigue and mystery of the unknown, the void, to be both fearful of it and comforted by it.
READING LIST
These are a collection of inspiring books from my shelves.
THE FAGGOTS & THEIR FRIENDS BETWEEN REVOLUTIONS
Larry Mitchel
A whimsical book from 1977, this fiction/magic realism/based on reality collection of stories in prose and poetry brilliantly presents gay men and their friends as they live their worry-free lives against the gray overworld of the straight men. Written almost like a children's book, this story has prompted my own exploration of candid and symbolism-filled story-telling.
THE VELVET RAGE
Alan Downs
This book is one that I would recommend to anyone in the world but most importantly any gay man. Downs articulates the nuanced life and experiences of being a gay man through the anonymous stories of his patients. This work has broadened my understanding of the desire for connection in the gay community as well as challenged me to reflect upon myself and my actions.
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO CONSTRUCTING THE UNIVERSE
Michael S. Schneider
If you are fascinated with geometry, math, and the patterns of the universe then this book may be for you! Handy with beautiful pictures, Schneider walks us through the numbers 1 through 10 and explains their presence in science, art, human existence, and their place in the fabric of the universe.
FAITHFUL AND VIRTUOUS NIGHT
Louise Glück
Written by one of my favorite poets, Glück beautifully and hauntingly writes of the night, mystery, light, and the adventures that are life and death and what it means to be an artist.