Often when I start a new project, whether it be a painting or piece of animation, I ask myself the question; should I avoid doing something science-fictiony this time?

Usually the answer is no, but I can imagine that you might wonder why I'd consider avoiding the genre in the first place. Well, first and foremost there's the whole "being called a nerd" thing that none of us like.  And then there's this idea out there that fantasy-based art isn't to be taken seriously. It seems that to many, otherworldly art belongs on the covers of nerdy pulp novels and role playing books, and nowhere near a gallery.

So why do sci-fi art then? What's the point of working so hard on something that won't ever advance your artsy street-cred?

Absolutely my fave in the collection. Can you imagine how big that ship would be?

Well, I can't answer that question for Alex Andreyev, who's fine work you see below, but based on my own feelings I bet I can take a guess. His work, done over a number of years, isn't really the geeked-out sci-fi art you may have seen before. Rather Alex creates a 'separate reality', just as the title of his collection suggests. From his work it seems that Alex often wonders what the world would look like if things were just a little bit different, and these paintings may be an attempt to find out for himself.

In my opinion, that's why sci-fi art is so prevalent, even if it's never widely appreciated. It's a venue for a certain type of person to 'see' the worlds they otherwise could only imagine. It's a place where people who feel constrained by this reality can go have a romp outside of it. It's not meant for galleries, because sci-fi art is a highly personal, self indulgent genre, made more for the artist him/her self rather than any particular viewer.

Well, I suppose at least that's why I do it. Enjoy Alex's work, and follow the links below the gallery to learn more.