Southwest Contemporary Vol. 14: Alien Explores the Slippery Definition of Alienness

Leslie Moody Castro, guest juror for Southwest Contemporary Vol. 14: Alien, reflects on the multifaceted concept of 'alien' through the works of ten featured artists. The issue, covering fall/winter 2026-27, presents diverse interpretations: Jess Merritt transforms landscapes into polyhedral structures; Hayley Krichels collages photographic explorations of her body into geometric grids; Chantal Lesley treats her body as a site of upheaval and renewal; Marcus Xavier Chormicle documents generational trauma and forgotten stories; Jess Johnson creates cosmologies filled with alien deities and cryptic symbologies; JR Roykovich accepts unexplained phenomena; Faye Lenore navigates between worlds and cultures; Kevin Sloan depicts non-human animals becoming foreign in their environments; Adrian Pijoan imagines the Loch Ness Monster behind a bar and slow dances with Bigfoot; and Lauren(ce) Myers Reese layers identities and narratives. Castro emphasizes that being alien means adapting to a changing world, embracing uncertainty, and challenging binaries. The cover art is Jess Johnson's 'Every Atom Made Flesh' (2018). The issue is published by Southwest Contemporary, a regional contemporary art magazine.