Alexandra Carter’s art makes for a dashing statement. Her paintings, meant to look stained and unpolished, emphasize the effects of a visceral mark. In one series, she paints using cranberry juice. The fluid is juxtaposed with collage elements; using solvents and other transfer methods she directly appropriates reference images from her archive.
But her art isn’t necessarily restricted to canvas, utilizing print media, collage, and performance. Drawing from her personal background – which includes her origins on a cranberry farm in New England – as well as literature, mythology, dance, and costume, her subject matter derives from a large archive of images which she collects and also creates from her own performances.
“My work involves my identity directly, especially since I often use my own body as a model,” she shared with Girl Trip. “A lot of artists don’t call themselves feminists or don’t want to be classified as ‘women artists’ and I get that; we should be considered across the whole broad sphere of art discourse, not just as a representation of our gender. Men don’t face that same prescription. However, because we ARE less represented in the art world (in terms of who is being shown at galleries and museums, who is selling, etc), I think shouting out that identity, as a female artist, serves the call for more female representation in the art world.”
Rich with symbolism and meaning, Carter’s art is a far cry from minimalism. “Abstract and minimal work never seemed to be an option for me, I needed more to hold onto, I needed to feel engaged,” she says. “I think it’s necessary to investigate the stories we grew up with, and other stories that have been told throughout history, and how those have shaped us – not just how they morally shaped us, but how they conjure certain images in our brain.”
Follow her thought process as it solidifies, turning into art.
