Alissa Alfonso
I had a chance to hear from sculptor Alissa Alfonso, who uses found objects and repurposes them, bringing new life to discarded materials.
Tell me about your background.
Cloudberry Lamp, Berry-38cm x 30cm x 35cm Stem- 457cm, Textile, by Alissa Alfonso
My parents don’t consider themselves artists, but I do. They started a corvette restoration company in Miami in the late 60s, a business that blended imagination, attention to detail, playing with texture and color and material, and appreciation for vintage forms. They traveled to car shows around South Florida displaying their work. It was amazing and creative. My dad made my mom a corvette station wagon that was pink and covered in butterflies. My mom installed the upholstery. Growing up, I spent hours in my parents’ workshop among the art supplies and restoration equipment.
What ideas are you exploring in your work?
I’m currently experimenting with clay. I have been hand building lamp bases and vessels for soft sculpture lampshades and flower arrangements. My life purpose is art making. My process spiritually connects me to the natural world. I have always embraced a deep relationship with nature through my work. That connection is rooted deep within my subconscious where my imagination re-fabricates the natural world. I repurpose found materials to establish a message about the abundance and wasteful characteristics of modern life. My sustainable art practice communicates and captures the freedom inherent in nature, recognizes lost and disappearing landscapes, and warns of a future in which nature can no longer heal itself.
What is your artistic process?
Unfortunately, there is an abundance of waste all around us. I’m constantly moved to repurpose and reuse discarded items I find around me. I usually have a couple works going at a time. I am pretty efficient when I’m creating. I will dye textiles one day, design cut and sew on other days. My process usually begins with a feeling. I’m deeply moved by nature and landscapes and preserving a memory of the natural world in case it doesn’t exist in the future.
Can you talk a bit about the evolution of your practice and your work?
My life and work are inextricably linked. When I was a young mother and artist beginning my career, I was drawn to textiles and soft sculpture by necessity. The clothes I wanted for my kids didn’t exist, so I made them. I started making my own things, and I think the up-cycled fabric designs I made on my kids’ clothes led to the fabric collages I make today. I feel over the years creating I have honed my craft, but there is so much more to learn. Over the years I have worked with fusing plastics. The fused plastic “clouds” and “jellyfish” that hang from wire or float across pools in my installation works are both elegant and melancholy. The installations represent the silent beauty of clouds and sea animals as a connection between the overuse of plastics and declining life in the world’s oceans.
Purple Kush, 45cm x 25cm x 25cm, Textile,
by Alissa Alfonso
What is your favourite quote?
Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.
Which museum / art gallery do you never tire of visiting and what is your favourite artwork in their collection?
One of my favorite art museums is The Bass on Miami Beach. I just enjoyed “Work From Home” featuring 9 Miami based artists.
Which 3 artists do you enjoy at the moment?
I’m loving artists Lilah Rose, Rogan Gregory, & Moises Salazar.
What is the most memorable thing someone has said about your work?
I absolutely love sharing my work with young people. My passion of non-traditional arts has led me to develop an entirely "green" art program called “Off the Canvas” in Broward County schools. The youth are our future! I get so excited when people make the connection to art and nature, nature and healing, saving our oceans and landscapes. Having my work make those connections makes me incredibly happy and hopeful. The most memorable words that have been said to me about my work is how at peace they felt viewing it.
You can follow Alissa on Instagram @alissaalfonso.