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- #Wood
Evocation of Emotion
Alexis Valgardsson
See it On Campus: Level 2
Visitor InfoFollow the moths...
S T A T E M E N T:
Evocation of Emotion is a collection of works produced over the past year that challenge what print could be; rather than what print should be. Focusing specifically on how emotions impact the work we create and how we view the world around us, both in natural and built environments.
Tools are a crucial part of the process for the work I produce, forming a bond heavily entwined to my materials and practice. In order to push this connection further, I challenge what I create and the scale it is done at. Whether it be pushing the boundary of multiples or using a new substrate, the exploration of material and matter is never ending.
E V O C A T I O N – noun
“the act of bringing or recalling a feeling, memory, or image to the conscious mind.”
D I C H O T O M Y
The Dichotomy diptych is a woodcut series that pushes the traditional ideas of printmaking by replacing the value of a perfect print with a curiosity for the raw material. This new focus is brought to life through the movement of the wood and the marks carved alongside it.
Left: Flowing Memory – 2021 // Right: Soaring Dreams – 2021
– P R O C E S S –
Before carving the cherry I analyzed its woodgrain in search of patterns and movement which would allow me to create a more cohesive design.
After drafting, transferring and carving I completed Flowing Memory (15in x 56in) in 135 hours and Soaring Dreams (16in x 56in) in 188 hours respectively.
Using live edge cherry wood as my matrix was both physically and mentally challenging.
I learned to become more patient with myself, and with time the process became methodical in its approach.
– R E C O R D I N G S –
T I M E L E S S – noun
“the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.”
T I M E L E S S
Timeless (2021) is a print installation that showcases the intensity of emotions that have occurred over a lifetime. Through the moths’ swarm-like patterns and blooming we also experience the slipping of time – slowly as they disperse across the surface around them. Floating away on a current created by the movement within the space.
A total of 572 moths were printed via Vandercook Letterpress and then cut out by hand prior to installation.
This was my first installation of this piece, with a second variation coming shortly after at double the scale.
P A R A L L E L S – plural noun
“a person or thing that is similar or analogous to another.”
P A R A L L E L S
Parallels (2022) is a variant installation of Timeless that overwhelms the senses. Their density and sheer numbers create an infestation of the space, echoing throughout the halls.
This work was created in order to share what I had kept suppressed this past year. My joy, anguish, excitement, sadness and fear of what was to come next. The installation became a way for me to safely express my frustrations and anger while methodically cutting out the 1000+ moths within the piece. Now in its state of completion I am left in a state of tranquility and excitement.
– P R O D U C T I O N –
Process Breakdown:
16 hours – printing, 36 hours – cutting, and 33 hours – installing
E M O T I O N S – plural noun
“a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationship with others.”
A R T I S T – B O O K S
Artist books tend to be some of the most vulnerable work I produce. Showcasing the power of emotion and the raw feelings that correspond to them. They are where I feel safe enough to voice my thoughts.
Books have the power to transport us, so why not embrace them and go along for the journey?
The books below are featured in The Reading Room – printed matter, on display in the ECU library during The Show 2022.
an artist book about anxiety and building stress before it bursts out of ones control.
