August 26, 2018, 10:57:12 AM

Alejandra Linares: An Artist's Life in Miami

www.alejandralinares.com

Interview by Anthony Foronda

I recently had the fortune to be introduced to Alejandra, a young Venezuelan artist making her way through the Miami Art Scene. I was struck by the maturity of her recent work and we both agreed to share a little bit about her life. This is the first ever interview on an artist on my Blog. I plan on continuing this artist series in the future.

Where were you brought up? When did you come to the states?

I was brought up in Venezuela. My mother was an art history teacher and my dad was an economist. My mother surrounded me with an artistic life. I would meet artists that she would work with and she would show me art history books. I would draw and create art all the time as a child. I came to the states to go to art school when I was 18.

Where did you get your formal art education and what was the most influential thing about it?

I went to the Art Institute of Tampa to study graphic design. I liked Tampa because it forced me to learn English. My friends were from up North and my roommate was from Connecticut. I learned the business of being a graphic designer.

What are your artistic influences?

I’m influenced by Modern Street Art. I loved the work of

What do you think of DESIGN?

I have a Love / Hate relationship with Design. As a designer you are constrained and sometimes it is too structured. It depends on what Art Director you are working with. Design does influence my art though. It made my work more graphic and balanced compositionally. In the future, I’d like to incorporate Type into my paintings.

Compare your illustration to your fine art?

I’ll work in a series of paintings and then switch to creating illustrations. They both inform and transform each other. I like to continue to experiment until I find something. I started painting the birds and horses. I believe the depth that people feel about them come from the fact that they don’t have eyes. People usually connect with eyes but the viewer is forced to connect with them through another way. It gives some mystery to the paintings. They are not just colorful and playful animals.

What are your hobbies and interests?

I doodle all the time and keep many sketchbooks of them. I’ll doodle on anything with markers, pens, pencil, etc. I love to sing and I love music. I’ll paint, sing and have music playing. I love reading poetry. My grandmother would have me memorize poems as a child. I love to travel any time that I can get away. And I love to exercise. I’ll just walk around Miami and it helps me to think and process.

How is life in Miami and it’s art scene?

Miami is a crazy art city. There is so much crazy art around; sculptures, murals, shows. The night life is insane here. It’s so much fun. One day, I’d like to be part of Art Basel.

What would you like to accomplish as an artist? What are your future goals?

I’d like to find my creative voice and spend every day in the studio working. I’d love to learn how to create sculptures. I’d love to be an integral part of the art world here in the US.