The aptly titled series Fingerprints by artist Kevin Van Aelst showcases the Connecticut-based artist's intricate fingerprint patterns in different mediums. Aelst literally and figuratively leaves his mark on typical settings using unconventional mediums that also happen to be common materials used in everyday life. A giant maze of tape pulled out of a cassette outlines the patterns of the artist's right index finger while a series of meticulously aligned strands of thread unspooled from its ball of yarn recreates an impression left by the artist's left index finger on the ground.
Other than mimicking his own detailed fingerprints in a clever, large-scale form, each image the artist constructs has a sense of whimsy and reflects diligent attention to detail, color, and composition. Though they may be his fingerprints, the artist inhabits a different persona in each scenario. Juxtaposing a crowd of Cheetos with a Nintendo controller gives you a sense of the character Aelst is representing–a video gamer, probably male, with orange fingers from all his snacking on the salty, cheesy puffs. The series also makes you think of how many things touch our hands everyday…
Selected prints from this series can be purchased on Eye Buy Art.
