Portfolio, Alyssa Murray

Left: Acrylic paint. Right: Collage (grayscale).
48" x 18"
Acrylic paint.
72 " x 18"
Drawing.

Acrylic paint.
18" x 24"
Left: Collage. 8.5" x 11"
Right: Acrylic paint. 18" x 24"

Collage.
24" x 18"

Parsons Challenge

Let this be the first of many Parsons challenges!

Challenge I.

Join me as go on a seemingly aimless hike on a bright day in Sunny California, in an area known to many as ‘wine country’. I have discovered a path just miles from my house that I did not know existed before today. I suppose it is a well-kept secret. My video documentation of my exploration displays the way physical movement through theatricality has shaped my process in creating my work. My training as an actor in San Francisco serves as a foundation for communication design, as theater is a performance art that communicates a story, while every photo spread is also a narrative but told through still imagery. Both mediums, the stage and photography, necessitate a physical set that is filled in with costumes, or fashion. Set design serves as a template to shape the position and framing of actors. Theatrical development matches the way I create my visions for fashion photography. While I design photo stories, the process begins with wandering the streets, people watching, and appreciating the intricacies of both urban and rural settings. My inspiration stems from surrounding architecture and seemingly mundane facets of a setting, creating a palette for my art to thrive. Acute attention to detail has taught me to create stories using the world as my canvas, a backdrop that allows transformative possibilities.

Challenge II.

Welcome to Catalina Beach Club, a classic art deco beach club in Long Island. During my time as an intern in the photo/bookings department at Condé Nast’s Teen Vogue, during Summer 2009, my work consisted of scouting Manhattan, Brooklyn and surrounding areas for photo shoot locations. New York City became my home for three months, and as I explored locations, my eye was trained to see the world as a place with valuable artistic potential. The beach club made me think of the families who venture there every summer to play in the sand and lounge on the balconies and promenades that overlook the sea. Upon sight, my imagination went wild with ideas, including images and fashion reminiscent of the 1940’s. Models laugh and play as they wear vintage-inspired bathing suits and dresses. I served as a Production Assistant at the November cover story’s photo shoot in June 2009 at this very location that I discovered. These visually stimulating experiences in the world I live in, inspire me to compose such visions in my head and consider how the details of clothes (color, pattern and fabric), as well as hair, makeup, and lighting, enhance a story. The culture I live in drives my visions, and I look to history as well as things I adore most; theater, music, film, books and nature.

Challenge III.

This sculpture is the product of a hike I went on one day in Southern California. It is constructed of banana leaves and cloth, hanging by a piece of wood. The whole structure hangs from a ceiling in my loft, as a souvenir from nature. As I wove the pieces together, the sculpture grew. It looked splendid and bright hanging inside, until days later when the banana leaves dried, and hence the sculpture’s natural decay. I left it hanging, as a reminder of my surroundings. Generally, I view Orange County as an area with chain restaurants, shopping centers, and freeways galore, much different from my home in Northern California. One day, I stumbled upon a place called Strawberry Farms. My exploration lead to the discovery of fields, fruit trees, and scarecrows. It enabled me to look at the area I live in quite differently. Little did I know, I could both experience and create something new simultaneously while on the hike. I found something beautiful in my environment and used my hands to sculpt an interesting object.