My name is Alexander Alonzo and I am an artist. I enjoy combining images and concepts that aren’t normally paired. I want my work to inspire people to discover art in their everyday surroundings. When everyday objects and phenomenon are represented as marvelous, we as viewers are left with a feeling of elation.
What initially got me into photography is the experience of making a photograph and using my hands to create a final artwork. I love manipulating a camera, composing, setting up scenes, and looking through the camera and to see what it sees. I also love working with my hands, either in the darkroom to make a print or making my own photo emulsion. It gives me extreme satisfaction to see a final product I made with my hands which started from nothing but raw materials.
The start of my image making process always comes from an idea. Normally, I get inspirational ideas through the conjunctions of visual and spoken information in everyday life. The idea comes to fruition by meditating on the mental image of the final piece. From there, I write down the description of the image and the significance behind or how I came to that idea. I do this incase I am unable to work on the idea for a while, so that I do not forget the message, theme, and backstory behind the idea. Once the idea, and all of its information, is written down I begin to think about how to bring the final image to life. I cull all of my photographic techniques, then see which would make the image not only the easiest to make, but also elevate it to a higher status of art. Next I begin shooting and making the image. After that I archive the image and frame it.
I create all of my work because it is interesting to me. It is very powerful to not worry what other people think of your ideas. However, I enjoy engaging with my audience so I can hear their critical feedback. I use my art as a catalyst for conversation; either political commentary, unnoticed beauty, or social justice.
I draw on older photographic processes to produce my work. I use techniques dating back to 1870 as well as more recent chemistry from 1960. I combine different processes with modern technology to create images that were never possible in the past. I also will combine up to four processes to make a final group of images. Having done research on these processes also lets me know if I am the first person to do this combination.
More recently in my work I’ve just been focusing on creating clean color film images. I’m just doing this in a street photography style to improve my skills with older cameras, to see which cameras I like to use, and to learn more about different kinds of film. I’m doing this because I want to know all the ins and outs of making a photograph. I want to be able to choose from every image making process to see what the best fit for work can be.
One of my biggest inspirations in photography is Edward Weston. I derive my love for curves, shadows, structures, and low key lighting from him. Secondly, Sandy Skoglund comes to mind for her limitless imagination and surreal sets. When I think of her work, it pushes my creative limit to see what my imagination can create. Lastly, Gregory Crewdson shows me how much control I can have over the physical world through teamwork. Other inspirations include Walter Wick, Richard Tuschman, and Yinka Shonibare.
Overall, everything that goes into making a piece is very thought oriented. I always go back to the original source for the idea and my inspirations for photography to see what more there is to learn. My philosophy for producing work is to do what is interesting to you. If you get stuck, draw inspiration from life experiences and current events. If you do that and stay true to yourself, hopefully everything will work out for you.