We speak with American based fine artist & sculptor; Alyx Jeffries.
We've been obsessed with Alyx Jeffries' stunning work for a while now so you can imagine how delighted we were to see this beautifully imaginative stop motion piece she made for Psychic Garden Coffee (see below).
The young artist is undoubtedly insanely talented and her unique style featuring life-like body parts makes her work instantly recognisable.
Follow her page: @alyzxj to keep up to date with her new work.
Read on below for our exclusive interview with Alyx Jeffries...
Has your environment sculpted you in any way?
I was born in Louisiana and moved to Florida at one year old. Having family in both states meant often commuting back and forth between the swamps, white beaches, limestone springs and caves, and the city of New Orleans. That cocktail of environments definitely sculpted my artistic vision, mystical and inquisitive nature. When I was a toddler, my parents took me to the beach at night during a bioluminescent plankton bloom on Pensacola beach and I believe that enchanting experience influenced my mystical outlook on nature and living as a whole.
Have you been creating since a young age?
Began making art as soon as I could pick up a pencil. I remember being in preschool and getting in trouble a few times for coloring on everything I could get my hands on or making food sculptures. Being intrigued by the mysteries of our vast oceans, my first distinguishable creations were drawings of mermaids and underwater scenes.
How long did it take you to develop your style ?
A lot of times I wonder if my style will ever feel fully developed because a huge part of my creative process is experimentation and constantly observing and questioning laws of nature and our human perception. Although it wasn’t until a couple years ago when I got exposed to the potentials of multimedia art that my style began to feel more defined and cross disciplinary with traditional and technological mediums.
What artists/ideas have inspired your work the most and why?
A plethora of artists and ideas have inspired me over the years. The psychedelic dreamscape works by visionaries James McCarthy and Gilbert Williams are very visually inspiring. Other artists like Hajime Sorayama, Maria Sibylla Merian, Yayoi Kusama, and Dan Lam I look up to as well. And learning about the surrealist movement in grade school sparked inspiration due to its rendering of experiences in states of dreaming and altered consciousness. This other idea of interdisciplinary artwork combining things like biology and sculpture has been inspiring as of recently too.
What is your personal relationship with spirituality and how does that inform your creative practice?
Art making is an extension of my spiritual practice or a translation of visions and beliefs that help me make sense of existing. It’s like the bridge of communication for spiritual experience.
Does nature inspire you and your work?
Nature is my number one inspiration. I believe nothing is really separate from nature, even the computer I’m currently typing on. Things like the parallels between the unknown 95% of our oceans and outer space, the vastness and often overlooked intelligence of earth’s microcosms, and especially mysteries linking the true nature of time and the basic fundamentals of matter and consciousness are all roots of my art’s inspiration.
Is there a particular period in history that inspires you the most?
The spiritual symbolism in art of ancient Tibet like thangka paintings I find really inspiring. The space age of the late 60’s along with the early digital age of the 80’s is also really inspiring because of the common bold shapes, colors, and visual intricacies of electronic technology. Of course, I also find this day in history to be extremely inspiring, with all the new technology and endless possibilities going on.
Are you inspired by the occult / esoteric in any way?
Absolutely, yes. A lot of aspects that play into magic also play into the creative process while finished works of art feel like the alchemical result. Any time a mirror is shown in my work the occult is definitely being symbolized.
- PSYCHIC GARDEN