We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Hyner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
It was clear to me at a young age that art would be my professional focus, so I became impatient with formal schooling. Long story short, I’m not good at anything else.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been working in the film industry for well over a decade, and while making films continues to be my true passion, the rewards are often few and far between. It can take years to get a project off the ground. Eventually I realized I needed a more consistent artistic outlet, so I turned to still photography and digital art. Nothing relaxes me more than walking the city, taking photos, and then getting back to my couch to “paint” in Photoshop. I’ve been making images and posting online since 2014, but things changed in 2020 when my friend Sam introduced me to a curated art account called @ArtClassified. I’m not internet savvy, so I had no idea there was a supportive community of artists sharing work online. I was now being inspired by all kinds of delicious artwork which in turn kicked my own work into a higher gear.

My aim has only ever been to follow my instincts and create images that I personally want to see. The first piece of mine to go viral is called “Twenty Skies” and it came together rather quickly. I was walking down the street and snapped a photo of an electrical pole and instantly knew I’d take a bunch of sky photos I’d shot over the years and pop different ones in between all the wires. It took a few days to figure out, then I casually posted it on Instagram and Reddit, and in the morning I woke up to thirty-thousand new followers. I’m thrilled people respond to “Twenty Skies” and the numerous variations I’ve made since. It’s comforting in a way that the piece that resonates with people most emerged naturally from me. I didn’t force it. I think it was simply the right time for that image to be expressed. I hope to continue to make art exactly that way. 
Photography and digital art has become a tremendous source of nourishment and therapy over the years. I encourage everyone to find something they’re passionate about and cozy up to it forever.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First, I would take them on an early morning walk up the secret Berendo stairs in Los Feliz. That walk is a blast. There’s great architecture in the neighborhoods, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House, and then you dart down a nature trail that eventually leads to the the Griffith Observatory!

Then we’d descend back to the streets to get coffee at Maru. Inevitably we’d eat lunch at All Time, maybe have a second lunch at Sqirl. Then happy hour drinks outside Figaro Bistrot (I don’t leave Los Feliz much)

Surely we’d make a pit-stop at Whammy! in Silverlake because I’m an avid collector of VHS and they undoubtedly have the best selection in the city.

Over the course of a week, we’d make our way out to El Matador beach in Malibu and probably have to stop at Reel Inn for a bite. But don’t worry, we’d get back to Los Feliz to have a drink at Little Doms.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Speaking from personal experience, artists can be moody little scoundrels, so my mom, dad, and older brother deserve a shoutout for their love and support. While I’ve matured a bit since my teenage years, I think my girlfriend Madeleine currently deserves an award for most patient person in California.

As far as creative influence, my father is a great photographer and his work had an immense impact on me at a young age. I was staring at his art before I could walk, so it’s buried deep in there. Also, while I think I have an innate draw to the arts, it was director Barry Levinson’s film The Natural that shot lightning into my soul at a very young age and really jump-started my passion for filmmaking and visual art.

Website: https://www.alexhynerart.com

Instagram: @alexhyner

Twitter: @alexhynerart

Tik Tok: @alexhynerart

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexRossHyner/

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