Biography

Preston Douglas, (b. 1995, Houston TX) explores the relationship between painting, fashion, performance, and installation. He began his artist career working with fashion as his primary medium and moved into painting shortly thereafter. Preston realized his interest is in the 2D image of these clothing-based projects rather than the functionality of the garments themselves, and painting seemed to be the perfect medium to solely focus on image making. Preston applies his knowledge and personal history of fashion fabrics and printing techniques in the context of painting. He challenges the notion that painters be relegated to using two fabrics; canvas and linen, and two tools; a brush and paint. Preston has been recently focused on considering the stretcher bar as body, draping and stretching fabric on it as he would a human figure. He has also struggled with how flat printed paintings tend to be; and his use of transparent fabric in the CTHRUME paintings is his solution to that problem. There is an inherent sense of performance and installation in fashion-based projects that Preston attempts to take into the gallery setting, further activating his paintings and creating an intentional environment to experience the spiritual nature of his work. Preston currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.