On the Friday after Halloween, Alex Barney walked onto his apartment’s balcony and sat down to do his nails. Wearing a red sequined jumpsuit that can only be described as the love child of ABBA and Elton John, he crossed his legs, one bare-foot dangling over the other. He bowed his head, focusing hard on choosing the right size fake nail for his middle finger, twitching his mustache, which rested just below the black and red KISS makeup he wasn’t wearing a few minutes before. He laughed at something one of his friends said, impressively multitasking between getting ready and hosting a party that had just begun. Around his neck hung a real lock and chain. Not a costume prop. A real. Iron. Chain.

From his middle school student council campaign poster to stick figure drawings, to license plates, old-fashioned briefcases, hand-done graffiti tags, wooden clogs, and sketchbooks, Barney's life is an array of clothing and objects with stories almost as interesting as he is.

The fourth-year architecture student and lover of self-expression lives by three simple words, not many young people do. “No one cares.”

He explained his life's motto has little to do with what other people are thinking, and everything to do with reframing your own mindset to not care what they think, whether good or bad.

“Everyone is way too busy worrying about what everyone else is thinking about them,” Barney said. “God forbid they think I look weird… I don’t care.”

Inspired by artists like Marcel Duchamp, Barney is constantly thinking of ways to challenge the expectations of those around him and even his own.

His perspective on art can be simply summed up by an empty Buzzball. What one may see as just a piece of trash (that Barney jokes was probably thrown on the floor by a drunk girl on her way to the next party), when you divorce it from its associations, is an interesting piece of art. The silver top, shape, and vibrant color all work together to create a unique object. As he zoomed back into reality, Barney explained that although it may just be a dirty piece of trash, as long as you have the creativity to see it in a new way, anything is possible.

“I think art is incredible because there's such a breath of it. There’s so much. It’s almost a little bit of an escape from reality,” Barney said.

Fueling his fashion sense along with his love of design and collecting, subjective beauty is the center of Barney’s life.

On campus, he’s become known for his eccentric style and unorthodox attitude, especially in the underground art scene. By day he’s the perfect student: dressed professionally but somewhat basic-ly, he contributes to group projects and builds teeny tiny trees for his architecture models. But by night, he becomes the Alex everyone knows and loves. The version of himself that can envision any outfit, or design, no matter how ridiculous it may seem.

This summer, inspired to build community among creatives at SU, Barney had the idea to start throwing outrageous parties, which he and his roommate humorously named “Beat Alex Barney,” or BAB for short.

The premise was simple. Encourage people to dress in the most absurd thing they can think of, by giving them the goal of trying to outdress Barney. Then at the door, Barney would pass judgment on their outfit, weighing its eccentricity (a feature of BAB he quickly did away with). Ultimately the people drawn to this kind of party were like-minded individuals, excited by the challenge of trying to create the craziest outfit they could think of.

BAB allows people to step outside their comfort zone, trying on the confidence Barney wears on a daily basis.

“When I see someone else wearing a crazy fit, we’ll like, exchange a wink,” Barney said. “It's kind of an ability to recognize other people like you.”

But not only does BAB draw in like-minded artistic types, but also those who struggle to find the courage to be like Barney.

Troy Volcko met Alex Barney earlier this semester when the two matched on a dating app. And for Volcko, who is self-admittedly high-strung, having Barney in his life has helped him see what fearlessness can look like.

“He's like a cartoon character. I love it. He comes out swinging, and he's like unapologetically who he wants to be,” said Volcko.

Volcko shared he’s never been one for parties, but since he met Barney, has been to quite a few. He says Barney is always right there alongside him, checking in to see how he’s doing and helping him come up for air when he needs it. Despite Barney’s comfort in a crowded room, Volcko never feels left behind or unseen.

If you were to meet Alex Barney at a party today, you would probably first notice his bushy brown mustache, warm blue eyes, and whatever accessory he added to his outfit that day. Once you start to speak to him, he may be excited to show you the industrial ceiling fan he is planning on installing on his wall as decor, or more than likely, he would ask you to tell him about yourself. He would wonder what your major is, who your friends are, what your favorite outfit is, and what makes you tick. Despite not worrying too much about whether you like him, Barney would want to make sure you’re having a good time, if it reflects positively on him or not. He wouldn't care whether your outfit is innovative like his, or if you know what Russian subvertist art is: he’ll like you all the same.

Although Barney ironically can’t imagine a life without the imagination that shapes the world he lives in, he’ll always be there cheering you along, hoping someday, you’ll join him there too.

“I just hate for life to be boring. Why should it be boring, when there’s so much fun to be had.”

Step into Alex Barney’s Artistic and Fearless Wonderland.