Alaina Nuehring

What do you define as Art?

 I don’t think I am able to adequately summarize the complexity and diversity of what is considered art. It’s like trying to fit the ocean in a cup. But with that in mind, I would say that art is an exploration of a problem or idea that relies on sensory objectives, often visual, to ignite a response from the viewer.

What influenced you to become an artist?

 I always had a good sensibility towards art and design, but furthermore, I was intrigued by the idea that I could have my ideas and work broadcasted to a larger audience and having the ability to make a statement in the world and influence the viewer’s experience, emotions, opinions, and beliefs through visual means.

Who inspired you to become an artist?

 I don’t there is one specific person or moment that strongly influenced me to be an artist. Being an artist was something I always wanted to do and never considered any alternative option, though, I have met several people that have further strengthened my desire to become an art through their own passion and ideas about art.

What influences your art?

 I am influenced by other artists such as Cecily Brown, Alex Kanevsky, de Kooning, Gorky, Cy Twombly, Edwige Fouvry, Anna Schuleit, Denyse Thomasos, and Basquiat. I am very interested in the expressionist styles of these artists. I am also interested in relating themes of science and psychology into my work. I am not a connoisseur of these subjects, but I am fascinated with the science behind our perception of time and the brain’s tendency to reconstruct memory. I listened to a great podcast from RadioLab about memory. The link is – http://www.radiolab.org/2007/jun/07/ 

What environment do you feel most comfortable working in?

 I am most productive while I’m by myself in my studio where I listen to loud music in my headphones and am not distracted by other tasks from the outside world.

Does anyone in your family have an artistic background and/or talent?

 My mom studied Graphic Design and Printmaking in college, but I would say that she pursues art primarily as a hobby than professionally.

At what age did you begin painting?

 I have been drawing for as long as I can remember but I don’t think I touched oil paint until I was in my junior year of high school. Even then, my exposure to paint was minimal. It wasn’t until my junior year in college that I seriously pursued painting and considered myself a painter.

I see that you attended Rhode Island School of Design, how did being around artists of that caliber affect you and your art?

 It has affected me tremendously! I think being in an environment surrounded by creative and talented people is essential for the growth of an artist. Back in high school, I was known as the art kid. It was a great ego boost, but it didn’t challenge me very much intellectually. When I came to RISD, I became surrounded by people who were equally as talented, if not more, than me. It was quite intimidating towards the beginning of that experience, but I realized that being in that type of rigorous and creative environment with the guidance and support of the faculty and my colleagues had allow me to push my art to levels that were more technically and intellectually concrete and considered. I must also add that this type of experience is not limited to art school. If an artist can immerse himself into an environment that is challenging and inspiring, great work will naturally emerge.

What's integral to your art work?

 I tend to use similar themes in all of my work – an exploration of fragmentation, deterioration, reconstruction, introspection, and chaos. Visually, these themes are embedded in the treatment of the figure. I consider most, if not all, of my work to be figurative, whether the figure is outwardly discernable or not.

How has your practice changed overtime?

 Within the last year, my work has shifted from being representational to being primarily abstract. My previous work focused heavily of a specific series of autobiographical narratives. I was struggling quite a bit during that series. The struggles I encountered emerged from my wanting to tell a specific story, but I found that mode of painting wasn’t quite successful. I wanted to say something that was too complex for a straightforward narrative. At this point, I became interested in reinventing these narratives, shifting focus from the details of the narratives to more of my personal emotions and interpretations of events and daily life. I think the shift to working more abstract has allowing me to work more freely as a greater part of my attention while painting goes towards formal elements such as color, texture, and brushstroke.

What artist has influenced your work the most?

 There have been several artists that directly influence my work over the last few years, but the artist that is influencing me at the present moment is Cecily Brown. I feel like I am addressing a similar set of issues and ideas that she is exploring in her work regarding the interplay of the figure and abstraction. I recently watched a talk online where she describes some of ideas about painting and abstraction. Here is the link – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZm6jS3rkBE

Is there a specific message you're trying to convey to your audience?

 I always struggle with this idea. At the moment, I would say that I do not have any deliberate message that my audience will take away after looking at my work. While I do refer to specific ideas and imagery while producing my work, I think about my finished work acting as an exploration and collaboration in which the viewer can project his or her own meaning and emotion on to.