Interviews
Alison Brady: 6 Questions
I met Alison Brady at her studio in November 2008 and was stuck by her photographs. Her work is both cleverly conceived and emotionally impactful. Alison is having a solo show January 8th at Massimo Audiello from 6-8.
AWD:Your work often seems to deal with disaster or tragedy. Has this always been the case?
ALISON BRADY:
My work depicts moments outside the realm of time therefore beyond life and death.
Much is unknown and unanswered, the image is static not before or after and is not necessarily to be assumed disaster or tragedy.
Of course one can read disaster or tragedy from the images. But what my images seek to evoke are mysteries derived from the deliberately disharmonic contrasts alluded to: perception and representation, madness and reason, the absurd and banal.My images revolve around the creation of visual, emotional tension, in the sense that they work to suspend a viewer in indeterminate spaces.
AWD:Do you have a dream as an artist?
ALISON BRADY:
Just to be happy and successfull.
AWD:Can you describe how the ideas behind you work come to you?
ALISON BRADY:
Some ideas are from my own neurosis, some are from realities I observe in day-to-day life. What I find most disturbing is the subtle distortion of something I can relate to, or something that is closest to me. I often find ideas in the everyday, in something small and banal you might not think twice about. I try to transcend elements of the familiar and into the unknown. That unnerved feeling one gets when the familiar turns alien and frightening.
AWD:What role does contemporary art have in the cultural realm?
ALISON BRADY:
Its a hard question to answer and I’m not sure I’m the right person you should ask. Obviously art is very important to me and is a big part of my life. As for its role in the cultural realm – sometimes the art world can seem at odds with the general public that does not share its values.
AWD:Is there any feminist influence in your work?
ALISON BRADY:
All artists make work about themselves whether or not they like to admit it. As a female artist, I think it would be almost impossible for the work not to have a feminist influence.
AWD:Do you know the next piece you are going to do?
ALISON BRADY:
I tend to work backwards on my projects more then most artists. I try to explore every idea that comes to me and it’s only after its finished do I step back and really examine where it comes from. After the fact is when I try to decipher its meaning.
AWD:What other medium have you worked with?
ALISON BRADY:
Video and sculpture.
AWD:Have you always known you were going to be an artist?
ALISON BRADY:
I’ve always known I have wanted to do something creative. On a side note I am having my Second Solo show at Massimo Audiello. The opening is January 8th from 6-8. Please come!
