SF Art Speaks: An Interview with Stacy Alexander
Stacy Alexander is a versatile Bay Area artist who uses mosaic art, among other mediums to share her perspective on the world. She’s a recycler who uses found and re-used objects to create her pieces, frequently letting the items dictate what the work will be about rather than trying to design a piece and then find the right materials for it. Asked to finish the sentence, “The life of an artist is …”, Stacy tells us that it is “a heavenly hell full of insecure securities, pain and joy”. Stacy not only lives this life herself but also supports the work of other Bay Area artists through her Live Journal blog. In this interview with San Fran Voice, she tells us more about her mixed-media work and her life as an artist in San Francisco.
What can you tell us about the basics of your artwork?
I am an avid recycler who, as a mixed media artist, allows the materials to speak to me and tell me what to make. Often, I will lace my compositions thematically with current events (in particular women’s issues or political issues that resonate with my beliefs). Mosaic art is just a small part of what I do, but I try to incorporate mosaic into a lot of my assemblages and collages.
How would you describe mosaic art to someone that was unfamiliar with it?
Mosaic is the perfect medium for anyone who hates to throw out something that can be recycled. Simply put, it involves pieces of anything that can be adhered to another surface. Glass, wood, fabric, paper and tiles all fit into this category, but the art doesn’t stop there! I have made mosaics out of bones, buttons, bottle lids, broken tempered glass and sticks.
If your art could be seen anywhere right now … any city, any particular museum or gallery, by any one person … where would you want it to be?
I am a fan of Frida Kahlo and do many pieces based on her work, her persona and her life. I’d love to see something I did hanging in the Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City.
What projects are you working on now?
I always have many artful irons on the fire. Currently, I am working on a series of collages and assemblages that represent women’s friendship. I also have some mosaic furniture in the works and am sketching out an installation that has to do with tiaras (What Paris Hilton calls, “princess hats”….rolls eyes) that represent people who I admire.
My work is currently hanging at Institute of Mosaic Art, 3001 Chapman Street, Oakland, CA.
How does the city inspire or affect your art work?
Many of my materials are area-urban-specific. I also get a lot of energy from the city and pace my energy to its internal beat.
Do you have a favorite gallery in San Francisco?
It would be very difficult for me to narrow it down to one since I do mixed media work and am influenced by all types of art. I love the Fraenkel Gallery for photography, but I also enjoy the Himmelberger and many others.
What do you think the average visitor to San Francisco should know about the art scene here?
The art scene in San Francisco has a distinct, expansive flavor unlike that of any other city. One can find anything here in a friendly, easily-accessible way that other major art cities do not offer.
What is one other thing that you think we should know about your work?
My work is ever-evolving, changing by the week, the day and the hour. I am not afraid to challenge tradition and to try new things and I’m not necessarily all about ego.
Oh, and I like to show my support for fellow Bay Area artists through a Live Journal blog called bayart-news.
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[...] The above image is not mine. It is the mosaic collage art of Stacy Alexander, a Bay Area artist who works in a number of different mediums to create beautiful, clearly eye-catching work. Learn more about her from her interview at San Fran Voice. [...]
[...] use it to create something beautiful out of it. Recycled creativity, just like Stacy Alexander (previously interviewed by San Fran Voice), is prevalent. Each artist here has a focus but in the end they all work together to create [...]