Alexandra Grant: An Exploration of Language, Art, and Collaboration
Alexandra Grant, born in 1973, is an American visual artist known for her exploration of language and written texts through diverse media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and video. Her work delves into the intricacies of the writing process, linguistic theory, and their relationship to art. Grant's artistic journey is marked by collaborations with writers, philosophers, and fellow artists, solidifying her reputation as a "radical collaborator."
Early Life and Education: A Global Perspective
Born in Fairview Park, Ohio, Grant's early life was shaped by a global perspective. Her father, a Scottish geology professor, relocated to Oberlin College in Ohio in 1969. Her mother was an American political science professor, foreign-service diplomat, and educational administrator. Following her parents' divorce, Grant was raised by her mother in Mexico City, where she attended a British school with a multinational student body. This early exposure to diverse cultures and languages - she speaks English, Spanish, and French - profoundly influenced her artistic sensibilities. She also spent a year at the Thomas Jefferson School, a boarding school in St. Louis, Missouri. Later, she and her mother moved to Paris, where she attended the International School of Paris.
Grant's formal education culminated in a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art and history from Swarthmore College in 1995. This academic foundation provided her with the tools to investigate the relationship between language and art, which became a central theme in her work.
Artistic Style and Themes: Weaving Words into Visuals
Grant's artistic practice revolves around transforming words into art. This process often begins with writing or discussions with collaborators like Michael Joyce, Hélène Cixous, and Keanu Reeves. She approaches language as a dynamic and multifaceted entity, exploring its inherent rhythms, structures, and potential for visual representation.
Grant once stated that she enjoys the challenge of working with language in 2D, and that she has worked consistently with poetic texts, found or borrowed. She also stated that the writer was embellish them with lyrics from the radio, my own thoughts.
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One of the defining characteristics of Grant's work is her collaborative spirit. She engages in ongoing dialogues with writers, philosophers, and other artists, incorporating their ideas and perspectives into her creations. This collaborative approach results in artworks that are rich in meaning and reflect a diverse range of voices.
Grant's exploration of language extends to the physical properties of words. She considers how words appear as images, how they can be deciphered, and how they convey meaning through their visual form. This interest in the visual aspects of language is evident in her use of techniques like backwards text and unconventional typography.
She approaches her work without preliminary sketches, allowing the process of enacting systems to guide the creation. This emphasis on process and experimentation leads to unexpected outcomes and innovative ways of thinking. She is constantly seeking to develop new ways of thinking and of failing.
Key Projects and Exhibitions: Showcasing a Unique Vision
Throughout her career, Grant has been involved in several notable projects and exhibitions that highlight her unique artistic vision.
- MOCA Focus: Alexandra Grant (2007): This solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles, curated by Alma Ruiz, marked a significant milestone in Grant's career. It showcased her innovative approach to artmaking and her ability to weave together language, visuals, and collaboration.
- Watts House Project (2008): Grant participated in Edgar Arceneaux's Watts House Project, a non-profit initiative that aimed to revitalize homes near the Watts Towers in Los Angeles. Her "Love House" project sought to transform a family home into a living artwork, blending private and public spaces.
- Forêt Intérieure/Interior Forest (2013): This twin series of exhibitions, created in collaboration with Hélène Cixous, explored themes of telepathy, language, and the work of Jacques Derrida and Sigmund Freud. Participants joined Grant in creating large-scale drawings of Cixous's novel Philippines.
- Antigone 3000 (2015): Inspired by the Greek play Antigone, this painting and subsequent series of works explored themes of love, hate, and social justice. The piece was exhibited at the Barnsdall Art Center after Grant won the City of Los Angeles Mid-Career Artist Award (COLA) in 2015, and later at LACMA as part of the "L.A.
Collaborations with Keanu Reeves: A Shared Artistic Journey
Grant's collaborations with actor Keanu Reeves have garnered significant attention, showcasing their shared passion for art, literature, and creative expression.
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- Ode to Happiness (2011): This book, published by Gerhard Steidl, marked Grant's first collaboration with Reeves. It combines Reeves's text with Grant's drawings, creating a unique and introspective exploration of happiness.
- Shadows (2015): Grant and Reeves reunited for their second collaboration, Shadows, a book and suite of photographic images printed by Steidl in Germany. This project delves into the concept of shadows, both literally and metaphorically, through Grant's evocative photographs and Reeves's accompanying text.
- X Artists' Books: Grant and Reeves co-founded X Artists' Books, a publishing house dedicated to producing artist-centered publications. This venture reflects their commitment to supporting and promoting the work of fellow artists.
Philosophical Influences and Artistic Processes
Alexandra Grant's work is deeply informed by philosophical concepts and linguistic theories. She draws inspiration from thinkers like Rudolph Steiner and Hélène Cixous, incorporating their ideas into her artistic practice.
She is interested in creating her own 'mother tongue' with which to make sense of her many interests. She also once quoted Cixous, - "How does one write a painting?" she asked.
Grant's artistic process is characterized by a willingness to experiment and embrace chance. She often begins with a general idea of what she will create but allows the materials and the process itself to guide the final outcome. She is open to exploring new mediums, formats, and themes, constantly pushing the boundaries of her artistic expression.
She mentioned that she once overheard a class discussing her work, and that she spends all his or her time 'reading' the words, making sense of them. makes sense of them as an image.
She has explored a variety of mediums, including a mobile and video, which included language as sound. She feels that there is more to explore there. She also mentioned gold-smithing, baking, etching, glass, clay, and sewing as other mediums she has explored.
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Grant's Definition of Beauty
Grant shared her definition of beauty by expressing, “I was thinking about this idea of, ‘What is beauty to me?’ And it’s something that you can see with your eyes closed. Honestly, it’s being around another woman. For me, anything that is inherently competitive, especially with another woman, it can’t be beauty. Because we have to be around each other in a sense where there isn’t a scarcity model of competition. How is that processed? I think we’re seeing it on so many levels. It’s people going to therapy. It’s people identifying as witches, which is a phenomenon. Let’s not go down that portal.”
She also added, “It’s like, why are so many people trying to find a way into talking about, ‘How can I be fully present in the now? How can I be enough in my body and how can I hold that space if I have more than another person or another person to stand by my side as an equal no matter what their background is?’ Ultimately, I think it’s love. And it’s truly loving yourself. It’s loving the people in your community. And it’s learning how to love people who are truly different than who you are. And it’s that third thing that becomes the most important. That tripod of love will fall unless you have all three legs. And I firmly, firmly believe in that. Some people are so good at helping others, and they don’t take care of themselves. And the love falls over because they’re sick all the time or they haven’t learned how to take care of themselves.”
Teaching and Mentorship: Nurturing the Next Generation
In addition to her artistic pursuits, Grant has also dedicated time to teaching and mentorship. She worked as an adjunct lecturer at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, from 2009 to 2011. She also taught an MFA seminar at Cal State Northridge in 2010 and served as a mentor in the Pacific Northwest College of Art's Distance MFA program from 2013 to 2014.
Grant's experience as an educator reflects her commitment to sharing her knowledge and inspiring the next generation of artists. She provides guidance and support to students, encouraging them to explore their own creative potential and develop their unique artistic voices.
The grantLOVE Project: Art as a Catalyst for Social Change
Grant is the founder of the grantLOVE project, a philanthropic initiative that supports arts-based non-profits. Through the sale of grantLOVE products, the project raises funds for organizations that promote arts education and provide opportunities for artists from underserved communities.
One of the organizations that the grantLOVE project supports is Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) Visual Arts, an after-school arts program that works in Grant's Los Angeles neighborhood. The project also supports X-TRA Contemporary Arts Journal, Los Angeles' oldest arts magazine.
The grantLOVE project exemplifies Grant's belief in the power of art to effect positive social change. By supporting arts-based non-profits, she helps to create a more equitable and vibrant cultural landscape.
Navigating Patriarchy
Grant shared her thoughts on navigating patriarchy by stating, “It’s in people. They don’t understand they are carriers of it. … So how do we examine ourselves first to make sure we’re not carrying the patriarchy virus? I don’t know. I think first it has to be a conversation. One of the things I do as an artist is I serve on boards of directors. I’m on a board right now where there’s 32 people. There’s 27 white male chief executives. There [are] three women. There [are] two people of color. It’s so bananas. … So one exercise in boards is to bring in unconscious bias training, which is to say, ‘What is it that you inherently don’t know that you’re making an assumption about?’ … There’s a really great nonprofit I helped found here in L.A. called the Women’s Center for Creative Work. It’s a little scrappy organization that sometimes gives away $100,000 of health-care grants to women and to artists. We did it in that group, and what happens when you do work? When you bring a staff and a board together at a nonprofit? The people who are working are not making very much money. The people on the board are some of the most privileged people in the community, and bringing them together, you see the inherent discrepancies within the organization. This young woman turned me and said, ‘Every time you guys use the word ‘visualize,’ I feel excluded.’ We were like, ‘What?’ She said, ‘I grew up poor [and] black. We didn’t visualize. Every time you use the word ‘visualize’ [I feel excluded].’ We were like, ‘Holy cow.’ That’s where I realized I had unconscious bias that I thought visualizing was accessible just because it was a word, and it’s not.”
A Continuing Journey of Artistic Exploration
Alexandra Grant's artistic journey is an ongoing exploration of language, art, and collaboration. Through her diverse body of work, she challenges conventional notions of artmaking, inviting viewers to engage with language in new and meaningful ways. Her commitment to collaboration, social justice, and artistic innovation has established her as a significant figure in the contemporary art world.
Advice for Lehigh Students
Grant shared pieces of advice for Lehigh students. She advised, “Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. It means you’re growing. College is an opportunity to try classes in unfamiliar subjects, join clubs for something new, and make surprising connections. Remain open to change and be prepared with the knowledge that there may be some growing pains along the way. That’s totally normal, and while everyone has their own journey, everyone is on a similar path to finding the person they will be after college.”
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