Alexander LaValley, also known as Pentabyte within the drag community, is a multidisciplinary artist currently studying at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Coming from a small town in Massachusetts he is influenced by nature, architecture, and animals when creating art. Alexander is also heavily influenced by his peers and friends in the Queer community. His art practice mainly consists of fashion, sculpture, and performance art. As a licensed cosmetologist he also works with hair and makeup to enhance his art pieces. Alexander works hard to combine all of his passions into art that blurs the lines of constructed gender roles. His drag persona, Pentabyte, is the truest compilation of all of his practices into one living art piece.
Emerge, 2022, mesh fabric, aluminum wire, thread, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Mesh fabric stretched over aluminum wire framed "horns" along with draped fabric.
Emerge, 2022, mesh fabric, aluminum wire, thread, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Mesh fabric stretched over aluminum wire framed "horns" along with draped fabric.
Emerge, 2022, mesh fabric, aluminum wire, thread, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Mesh fabric stretched over aluminum wire framed "horns" along with draped fabric.
Emerge, 2022, mesh fabric, aluminum wire, thread, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Mesh fabric stretched over aluminum wire framed "horns" along with draped fabric.
Paragon, 2022, paper, aluminum jump rings, rubber rings, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Over 200 of the same origami diamond shape connected with over 600 jump rings. Black rubber rings are scattered throughout the piece in a symmetrical manner.
Paragon, 2022, paper, aluminum jump rings, rubber rings, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Over 200 of the same origami diamond shape connected with over 600 jump rings. Black rubber rings are scattered throughout the piece in a symmetrical manner.
Paragon, 2022, paper, aluminum jump rings, rubber rings, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Over 200 of the same origami diamond shape connected with over 600 jump rings. Black rubber rings are scattered throughout the piece in a symmetrical manner.
Woven, 2022, brown paper, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Strips of brown paper woven together to create a wearable piece without the use of glue, thread, tape, or any form of adhesion.
Woven, 2022, brown paper, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Strips of brown paper woven together to create a wearable piece without the use of glue, thread, tape, or any form of adhesion.
Woven, 2022, brown paper, modeled by Pentabyte, photo by Caleb Parks
Strips of brown paper woven together to create a wearable piece without the use of glue, thread, tape, or any form of adhesion.
Alexander’s practice mainly contains elements of fashion design, sculpture, and performance art. As an artist he primarily strives to create work that represents him as a Queer person. Being able to bring attention to how vast and diverse the Queer community is creates new opportunities for his practice to grow. His identity as a gay man and a drag performer aid in the creation of his art. He often considers how he can use elements of his life as a drag performer within his practice. Using gender performance to help blur the lines between what’s considered “masculine” and “feminine” is an important aspect of creation to him. As a licensed cosmetologist, makeup and hair are a large part of his life which he tries to use not only in drag but in his practice as well. Finding ways to elevate a final piece is usually considered before the work is done, making his artistic process slightly backwards sometimes. On top of Alexander’s inspiration from the Queer community he is also inspired by the world around us. Geometry, nature, animals, human anatomy, and architecture are the primary sources for inspiration. These sources share some similarities between them all but manifest within his work very differently. Alexander begins by envisioning the final stage of the work first, which creates a guide for him to follow throughout the process. Despite envisioning the final stage first, he lets the materials being used decide how to reach that end goal. Primarily working with fabric, wire, and metal as his main materials. Leaving the possibility for work to evolve and change on its own is often the most fulfilling part of his art making process.