Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Bagg.
Allison, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I always had a visual eye, and as a child was very tactile, having to touch every fabric in clothing stores. In the summertime, I took photography camp and every art class under the sun. My mother was an artist who painted watercolor, and I would watch her paint in her makeshift studio in the garage. She died when I was 17, and I suppose it took me quite a while to come to terms with the fact that I’m an artist like her. I spent about a decade working 9-5 jobs that didn’t quite fulfill me creatively, until I started using Instagram almost as a gallery space for my collage work. Through that outlet, I was able to find my artistic voice and style in surrealist photography and digital manipulation. There are definitely a lot of aspects about social media that can negatively effect our mental health, but I am so grateful for some of these mediums to help give young, lost artists a platform through which to express themselves, especially when their daily lives don’t offer anything of the sort.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My art is greatly influenced by my travels. I have been lucky enough to visit Indonesia, Iceland, India, Morocco, South Africa, Botswana, Mexico, Australia, most of Europe, Turkey and Egypt in the last few years, and out of these trips my art has emerged. It all starts with a photograph and evolves from there. First and foremost I consider myself a photographer who uses digital collage and layers elements to create a surreal image. The work functions as a portal to travel to other lands and other dimensions, with rainbow and space aspects woven throughout. I want to show people that magic is everywhere.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
It’s extremely hard to define success in this line of work. I learned early on that sales at an art show aren’t the best metric for success. Another metric could be defined around who you are meeting and connecting with at shows, but if this is your basis for success, it’s ultimately a very long and slow process to see anything materialize at all. Success to me is feeling inspired to keep creating, if only for myself. All I need is one person on this Earth to identify with and connect with my work. Sometimes in life you are just here to activate one other person – that can be your whole job. Success to me is making stuff because I absolutely have to – because it’s coming out of my ears and eyes and mouth and there’s no way to stop it. If I have learned anything in my years, it’s that I am doing everything for me, because it fuels me and brings me happiness. It’s not so much about the other, although I hope you feel my work and connect with it, because that is the cherry on top.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can see my latest creations on Instagram (@abagg) as I use that platform to experiment and engage with my audience. I also have been in several group shows with The Other Art Fair in Los Angeles, in addition to Studio Mome and Salt Gallery. Some of my work can be found on Saatchiart.com, but I am also very open to commissions and custom art. Please don’t hesitate to reach out! I would love to collaborate with you 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: abagg.com
- Email: allisonbagg@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abagg/
Image Credit:
Me 🙂
