Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandria Wolf.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I always loved art. My mom could sit me down anywhere with a piece of paper and a pencil, and I would be content, if not elated, for hours. I remember being intrinsically competitive. When I moved from Ann Arbor to Atlanta in fifth grade this competitive mindset earned me my best friend, and now maid of honor. I dreaded middle school, and high school was only bearable because of my art teachers. I was never in a solid group in high school, and so lunch was usually spent in the art hall, eating and hand-building pottery mostly. Once I graduated high school I had the full intent of studying art therapy, but after completing the recommended minor in Psychology, I was hooked. I changed my major from Studio Art to Psychology, and a month later I added Art History as a second major. I had no clue what I was going to do when I graduated, but at least I knew that I spent time learning and focusing on what I was passionate about. I was lucky enough to meet my fiance at Georgia College, and we are now living in Smyrna with our two pups. I am currently back in school at the Montessori Teacher Education Institute in Atlanta getting my certification in Montessori Education while I work at the Suzuki School full time as an Associate Teacher. I am fortunate enough to have a fiance who loves and supports me and allows me to come home after an 8-5 shift and paper-cut while he cooks dinner. I’m always busy, I’m always tired, but at the end of the day I am happier than I ever thought I could be, and I didn’t plan for any of it.
Please tell us about your art.
I am a paper artist. It sounds boring, and it originated as stencils. I was really into ceramics in high school, and I had a concentration of pieces that focused on infertility, a tribute to my mother’s struggle conceiving. One of the aspects of the pieces was that the reason for the infertility was on each woman’s clothing. A stencil with the reason (environmental, financial, social, etc.) had to be cut from paper and then placed onto the leather hard clay. After applying the stencil smoothly I add colored slip, which is a fancy word for mud, that will fill the negative space of the stencil. I remove the stencil, and the image is left in its’ place. It was fun and different from anything anyone I knew had seen. I was ecstatic. But then I graduated, and it was like I forgot all about it. I thought I needed clay to make the stencils work.
Well, fast-forward to my senior year of college, Drawing 1 class. I am not going to lie; I hated this class. I dreaded it. I never understood how anyone would voluntarily sit for almost three hours in a classroom “being creative.” I remember consistently challenging myself to the point where the instructor decided to give me free rein. Our final project would be a zine, or a small magazine, in any media, on any topic, with any message. I spitballed a lot of ideas but kept coming back to these paper-cut stencils I used to do a long time ago. I realized that if I cut the image from old magazine clippings and then overlaid them onto other images, it was more collage and abstract than anything I had ever done. I began making enough to fill my zine, all on the theme of “Mother Nature.” It was amazing because I enjoyed the detailed work. I enjoyed the spontaneity of the finished product, and the altered states I could create, each evoking different meanings. But most of all I felt that the giant stack (200+) National Geographic Magazines from the 1970s was not going to be wasted, but instead recycled and appreciated as a completely different piece of art. The reusing and repurposing of the National Geographic meant a lot to me because these were all going to be thrown away if I didn’t use them. I had a history with National Geographic, it was a major part of my childhood, and it made me feel knowledgable about the world around me. I still love anything National Geographic and even visited the Museum in D.C. when I went for my birthday.
I hope that when someone looks at my art, at the very least, it’s something they haven’t seen before. My message changes with time, and with the subject matter of the work. I don’t think as a 23-year old I could possibly commit to one message, one theme of art for the entirety of my life, not only out of fear of redundancy but also because I don’t want to limit my audience. I want to hear what everyone has to say, not just a specific group of individuals.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
Find something you have in excess (obviously not money), and find a way to use it in a way only you can. I am not a full-time artist; I work full time and just re-enrolled in school. Art is always a choice. Make art when you can, but most importantly make art when you want to. Never force yourself to make art out of guilt for working a full day to pay bills. That kind of work will not be a rewarding experience for you or your audience. Instead, make art when you can’t do anything else when you can’t think of anything other than the creative ideas in your head or at your hand.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can see and purchase my work at atlexwolf.com, as well as stay up to date on any upcoming events I will be partaking in.
People can support my work by following me on Instagram, @atlexwolf, and commenting on my work. I appreciate honest and constructive feedback!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.atlexwolf.com
- Email: atlexwolf@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlexwolf/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alex.wolf.359
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrianwolf/
Image Credit:
Repurposed National Geographic magazines from the 1970s.
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
