Alexander Stockdale

I work at the intersection of art, technology, and nature, developing multimedia solutions that bridge digital infrastructure with tangible utility. My goal is to transform code into context, crafting web content designed to spark engagement and generate real-world impact.

With over a decade of experience in web design and development, my perspective is forged both behind the screen and in the field. This interdisciplinary approach—anchored by a BA in Interactive Arts and Media (2015) from Columbia College Chicago—currently informs my work for the Forest Preserves of Cook County, where I build and maintain digital interfaces that connect the public to nature. My professional foundation was built through a long-term tenure in graphics and marketing at Hydro, Inc., alongside a diverse portfolio of freelance engagements for organizations like Cognizant, Clovis, and Century 21 S.G.R. I have also contributed to local startups and publications such as The Lyric Exchange and The Sick Muse.

My visual art captures the transience of everyday life and the natural world through an impressionistic lens. Using pigmented India ink on cotton paper, I blend urban sketching with nature journaling to create layered narratives where observation meets imagination—a dialogue between light, shadow, and personal interpretation.

In my Healing Landscapes series, the philosophy of wabi-sabi is applied to ecological restoration. By reclaiming invasive buckthorn and other salvaged materials, environmental waste is transformed into an organic canvas as an educational vehicle for woodland recovery. The wood’s knots, cracks, and weathered flaws dictate the composition. The brush follows the rhythmic grain, leaning into these imperfections to advocate for the return of the native wild. These works have been exhibited at Chicago-area landmarks including the Trailside Museum of Natural History, Andersonville Galleria, Art City, and the Oak Park Art League.

My musical compositions explore the "ghost in the machine"—a deliberate effort to infuse digital precision with analog soul. As alixplox, I craft synthwave that balances the grit of analog warmth with the clarity of modern definition. My EPs, including Cosmic Cruise (2022), Hadal Rain (2022), and Offworlds (2021), plus my synthwave covers such as Quake Zone Rumble (2021), have been featured as opening themes for the GABBIN+GAMES podcast, hosted by David Jaffe, the game director and designer behind the God of War and Twisted Metal series.

This creative DNA defines my work with Circus in the Sea, where I co-write, perform, and produce. Our discography—including Sea-Sides (2026), Holly the Spectre (2018), and Incognito (2015)—merges ethereal downtempo with alt-rock. We’ve been fortunate to bring this sound to Chicago stages like Subterranean, Beat Kitchen, and The Hideout alongside both local and national acts.

I welcome opportunities for commissions, gallery exhibitions, and multimedia collaborations. Whether you have a vision for custom artwork or a new technical venture, I look forward to exploring how we can create something meaningful together.