epilogue. – Alyssa Macdonald

Instagram: alyssa_b_macdonald 
Email: alyssabmacdonald@gmail.com

Alyssa Macdonald is currently finishing her Undergraduate in Fine Arts and Social Development Studies at the University of Waterloo. She has a background in digital design where she is drawn to graphic elements in her artwork. Notably, she has an interest in the well-being of the human condition as not only an area of interest for study, but also a topic for creative exploration. Her most recent work seeks to verbalize through the use of painted scenes what tends to be internalized.

Artist Statement

For as long as I have created, I felt like there was always this obligation to abruptly move on, never fully admiring what I had accomplished along the way. In recent years, I have learned to respect the process in which works evolve. This has allowed me  to unconsciously work through previously unaddressed thoughts accompanied by their potential confrontation. Being mindful of my artistic choices has led me to a place where I present an inner world to an outside audience.

My current body of work captures impressions of thoughts in a flow of consciousness surrounding topics that have recently been on my mind. Through a triptych of paintings meant to be seen as a continuous piece, I have created representational scenes including both personal and impersonal objects. In the first scene, I depict the contradictions in how I present myself versus how I regard femininity as an imposition. The next panel presents the conflict I feel between healthy living and the harmful messages that are presented as fact. In the last painting, I demonstrate the disconnect I feel in actively existing instead of observing life complacently.

With this in mind, my series is visually connected through the use of dramatically lit settings and fragmented elements carried into the adjoining scenes, disorienting the viewer. Inherent, Invigorate, and Isolate are set in shadows with coloured light spilling across objects to communicate tone.

Interview Questions

What aspects of your life inspire your art?

My inner world and how I process my external environment inspires my art. Whether it is through emotion or through my own experiences, I display these moments of exploration in creative works. Similarly, using art as a means of communication with not just an audience but with myself is an aspect of my creative process that I have come to embrace. As a young adult navigating the world, staying sane implies working through identity issues and persisting social topics that are critical in further growth. 

Where do you see yourself in the future? How do you see your art practice evolving?

In my future endeavors I can see myself finally traveling the world to see artworks that visual artists are only taught about in their schooling. I know that my future learning lies with exploration, and I believe a residency would foster this. My art practice would only benefit from these experiences, as I then plan to create the art I want to create. This will allow me to be out of an environment that guides creativity to a specific point.

What do you want people to know about you as an artist?

As an artist, I am drawn to the display of what is on the inside in relation to an outward physical environment. Hence, the human condition and psyche are topics of great importance to me as I am always wanting to know more about the way humans work. I can only authentically depict my own experiences and psychology in a given work.