Meet Alison Price: Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alison Price and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alison, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
My parents immigrated to the United States from a tiny island in the English Channel, Guernsey. And when I say tiny, it truly is. At roughly 4 miles wide, and 6 miles long, it is steeped in culture. Known for its gorgeous golden cows, and their rich milk, achingly beautiful bays and shoreline, it is also a place that has seen an incredible amount of violent history. Occupied during the Second World War by German forces, the resilient Island residents still carry the trauma and stories from that dark time. The childhood I had was full of tales of the war, and the war’s effects on my family. My grandmother, pregnant with twins, was refused admission to the hospital by the occupying Germans during the War. She died giving birth to my mom and her twin. I think about this often, my grandfather left without a wife, the mother of his children, during wartime. It was the community that rallied. Even as the people of the island were starving, and were being starved, they found food for the children. My parents sent me back to Guernsey with my sister during the summer, we explored the sea, the cliffs, and all the beautiful tidal pools. We discovered a naturally carved bench in the hard grey granite, a perfect place to watch the tide race in, sure that we were unique in our find, only to share the story with my aunt who then said it was a bench she cherished as a girl. We plucked snails from hedgerows, and helped my grandfather pick tomatoes. He would send my sister and I off on deliveries, bringing fresh produce to cottages down twisty, winding roads of granite. We knocked on old wooden doors, painted bright colors to ward off the devastation of the sea air on wood, delivering the bundles of cucumbers, courgette, onions, and cheery bunches of sweet peas. We explored abandoned German bunkers, and 6,000 year old dolmens and menhirs. We played on the beach and looked for crabs under rocks. We sunned ourselves on the concrete perimeters set up by the Germans to protect the bays, perimeters now an accepted part of the landscape. We swam everyday and analyzed seashells. It is this poignant bittersweet mixture of joy, sorrow, pain, the importance of open communication, and shared histories, coupled with natural wonders that has fueled my art.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What I am excited about! This series, the Purely Textural Map Points is composed of 12” x 12” canvases, each illustrating a different adventure, a new part of the globe experienced. Art and travel are my passions. Meeting new people, and immersing myself into local environments brings me joy. From tiny chartreuse pillows of moss growing near a fallen tree in my backyard, to the early sun illuminating all the irregular islands in the St. Louis River Estuary, organic and mineral structures inspire me to capture the color and light of beautiful and fleeting moments. The Yellowstone Paint Pots, a wet stone sidewalk in Porto, Portugal, and the Carrizozo Lava Fields in New Mexico have all had a turn on the canvas. The cenotes of Quintana Roo, the bromeliads in Belize, and the Aurora Borealis at the North Shore of Lake Superior have all inspired work in this series. Exploring our one, special, beautiful planet, and taking a moment to look at the tiny details, allows me to connect with the space, breathe more deeply, and honor each space I visit. Some of the sculptural paintings are more playful, others a bit serious. 

I have fun with materials too! The ‘crunchy’ part of the sculptural paintings is a mixture I developed during graduate school. It took two years to develop, many of the first attempts ended up falling off the canvas. I combine the proprietary texture with gold leaf, shattered glass, handmade paper, wine bottle capsules, chopped up failed paintings, as well as other materials that catch my eye. I find the ‘Mix and Match’ attributes of this 12″ x 12″ canvas exciting. As a single work they are wonderful, in pairs and groupings they are dramatic. They work together to fill challenging spaces with color and texture. I love seeing how patrons have installed the work: up large fireplace breasts, on multi level staircases, in an individual contemporary line, both vertical and horizontal, and of course, groupings. These installations are an artwork within an artwork, the selections reflecting the client’s own design. My zero waste studio initiative forces me to be more creative, and allows me to rethink resources, and develop sustainable studio practice.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Minneapolis is a city brimming with culture. Buildings designed world renowned architects such as César Pelli and Frank Gehry share space with mom and pop restaurants, like the Anchor Fish and Chips, Gorkha Palace, and Pho 79. With the most theaters per capita in the US, the stage is literally set for a fun night on the town. We definitely hit up the Guthrie Theater, see a show, walk its ‘Endless Bridge’, and dance across the amber yellow clear 9th floor. We challenge ourselves to walk over as many bridges as possible, including the first bridge to ever span the Mississippi. The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is 96, yes, ninety six, square blocks of large, sprawling art buildings, small independent studios, artistic eateries, and artisanal tap rooms. The mother ship of this incredible district is the Northrup King Building. Home to over 350 small businesses, it is the quintessential art destination. Here internationally recognized artists mingle with emerging, each sharing their insights and skill set with the community. We ask lots of questions, and get one on one tours of world class art. With four floors to explore, and with 738,074 square feet to see, we may need a few days. It feels a bit the Smithsonian of art worlds here. We decide to pop over to Diamonds Coffee Shop in the Thorp building for a homemade sandwich and soup, and we definitely get the NFK sauce. The Mississippi River forms an extraordinary ravine between the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, providing abundant green space, natural rock formations and quiet intimate moments with nature. The bike trails and parks in this metro area are unsurpassed, rightly earning the distinction of most parks per capita in the US. A stroll along the ravine, ending at the immortalized Minnehaha Falls is a great way to get an appetite for dinner. We make plans to stop into Sea Salt, a quirky restaurant near ‘the Falls’. If we are feeling extra adventurous, we clamber down the *hundreds* of stairs to the white sandy point on the Mississippi, hoping to catch the late sun bouncing on the west facing cliffs of St. Paul. The reflections are gorgeous! If we are lucky, a sculling crew races by, their synchronized oars dipping into the quickly moving water. Exploring the parks, visiting the old gnarled bur oak tree that has witnessed 333 years of human migration along the Mississippi, is a solemn moment, as we make our way to the Weisman Museum to see more art! We definitely need time to see the Walker Art Museum and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Each has its own personality, and worthy of a day for each. On the way home, we stop at Vinaigrette, a local oil and vinegar shop that is much more than a shop, it is a culinary experience. We sample the 18 year balsamic vinegar, and learn how to make cocktails with white balsamic ginger vinegar, true! Each vinegar and oil is sourced from small farms and producers by the shop’s owners, Richard and Sarah Piepenburg. They are known as ‘foodies foodies’, they are fabulous! We round the week out with an evening at the Sample Room, a petite restaurant along the Mississippi that specializes in small plates, we order lots to try, its part of the charm! Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family. Thank you J, M, and S. Being a full time artist is not a 9 to 5 gig. They have supported my long hours at the studio, and ignored, usually, the giant messes at the studio, that seem to have a habit of multiplying into the hallway, and out onto the dining table! Their ability to graciously ignore randomly placed paintbrushes, soaking tools, or a pile of half primed canvas is quite remarkable! Their ability to see that art is essential to me and my well being fills my heart. Long weekends loading, unloading art to bring to shows, fairs and exhibitions, are made lighter, and much more fun with their company and energy. Last minute panics of tag making, price lists, are magically resolved, their ability to act nimbly and with intelligence make this lifestyle a full and buoyant one. Their responses to my inquiries of ‘why is this painting not working’ are insightful and thoughtful. My beautiful, encouraging, supportive, and humor filled family are the true success story.

Website: https://www.alisonpricestudios.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alison.price/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-price-671230a/

Twitter: @alisonvprice

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlisonPriceArtist

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJspxwCo07Q

Image Credits
Alison Price Group of six paintings by Janel Cox