Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Spears.
Hi Alexis, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My creative journey began when I was in high school. In my junior year, I felt called to create and started drawing anime characters. At this age I believed that being good at drawing was the status symbol of a great artist, which I now feel is far from the truth. I am an artist that values art as everything rather than as a skill and aim to create work that has a pulse. The touch and feel of everyday objects is intriguing to me and that characteristic of myself translates into my work. I predominately work in sculpture, collage, and analog photography. I tend to rock back and forth between creating conversational works about my identities, works that embrace aspects of childlike play, and the merging of these elements.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey hasn’t been the smoothest. One of the biggest struggles that I encountered was graduating college. I know how counterintuitive that sounds but as an art major, I got in the rhythm of creating art for classes and having access to what felt like an infinite amount of resources. After graduating, I faced practical challenges like no longer having access to a woodshop and having no room to store my sculptures. But I also faced the challenge to continue creating without set deadlines. All of my work prior had correlated directly to receiving my degree and now I needed to find another mode of working that fit my creative needs. Along with this, being an artist in this media age, at times leads me to feel like I’m not putting out enough “content”. This is something that I am still adapting to and as time goes on, I’m constantly reminding myself that my most fulfilling pieces have been made without being pushed by outside forces but by my own desire to bring my ideas to life.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a multimedia artist who predominantly works in tactile mediums such as sculpture, collage, and analog photography. I am known for creating thought provoking work with unconventional materials with the intent to challenge the perceived constraints of traditional art creation. Most recently I’ve been venturing out and experimenting with candle making and special fx makeup. I am most proud of the flexibility that I give myself to explore different mediums. This flexibility has led me to some of my favorite art pieces where I mix mediums like candle wax, wood, and rope.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is dressing up in my mother’s clothes and playing spies with my younger brother, Alphonso. We would move through different parts of the house as if we were traveling the world for the first time. We’d plan well thought out missions, which required leaving encrypted notes and making our way through laser booby trapped rooms. The appeal of being a spy came from our grandpa’s love of James Bond films, we grew up with them playing around the house.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plutosburning/
