Alien is five times the size of the average person and the massive scale of the work helps portray the emotions expressed and increase the drama.
Alien is executed in the loose sculptural style that is the hallmark of Breuer-Weil’s monumental pieces. The surface of Alien will also be familiar to anyone who has seen Breuer-Weil’s work in recent years as it is marked all over with his graffiti musings and doodling. Amongst these marks can be found the name of his grandfather who, in part, inspired the work, as well as a portrait of the Kaiser of Nerac, who rules the imaginary world where many of Breuer-Weil’s paintings and other works find their inspiration.
Breuer Weil commented ‘I love the idea of the shock of an alien landing in the heart of London and taking everybody by surprise. Every new work of art should be like an alien landing, something sudden and unexpected. The work also has a personal story. My grandfather was a refugee from Vienna and fled after the Nazis took over there in 1938. He landed in England very suddenly, but found he was labeled an ‘Enemy Alien’ when he arrived here. He always discussed the tragedy of being considered an alien in his new home.The sculpture is more about our sense of belonging than any SCI FI theme, but both ideas are present.’
