ALEX ELMESTAD
born 1983 in St. Louis, MO
currently lives and works in St. Charles, MO
1. What are 5 descriptive words that you would use to explain your current work?
sensory, interactive, spatial, phenomena, experiments
2. What do you think your role is in society?
As an artist, my role in society is to provide a sensory experience or creative thought which then allows observers, participants, and individuals to contemplate that experience or creative idea. After the initial exposure and interaction with the art, the contemplation process immediately follows. The contemplation has the potential to grow, develop, and reach others through social discussion, critic, or further exposure to the work. The artist does not necessarily have to be the act of change, progress, or aesthetic/functional development, but he/she must be the idea. In a one word answer, I would say my role in society is to be "potential." In a more specific statement, my role is to deliver a sensory experience, provide a forum for social interaction, and create a space for experimental imagination.
3. In your current work and explorations, what idea or concept remains to be a mystery that you seek to answer, develop, or understand through your or your observer's discovery of your work?
"Existence" will always, forever and forever be a mystery. A beautiful tragic mystery that feeds an artist's expression and allows them to complain, develop, or understand their purpose. I use sensory elements and spatial experiments that sometimes require direct interaction with the art or with people involved in the art experience. I am better able to understand my environment through the use of my senses and through interaction with others. Therefore, I apply this method in the design of new projects. The human senses enable us to communicate, develop, and explore our imagination. Within this process of sensory communication we learn a little about our individual purpose and mankind's reason for existence.
4. How often, if ever, do you accomplish your ideal, or come close to it?
Never, not even close. That is make makes an ideal an ideal. The potential of an ideal is endless, infinite, and quite frankly abstract. The definition quite literally is: "Perfect," but existing only in imagination. Although, I am fine with that. For me, the idea or ideal has always been more exciting to me than the final product. Like I said, the ideal has no limit, therefore why wouldn't I like my own imagination or dream better than the reality of the finished product.
5. What do you think will happen on December 21, 2012?
The end of the Mayan calendar... The Mayans probably just ran out of room on their walls or scripts when they were writing it all out. Or they disappeared mysteriously before they could finish the calendar... but even then, how far would you write it all out. How far does the American calendar go? If I said nothing, would that be metaphorical for doom. By which I mean, if December 21, 2012 was a doomsday that ended all of humanity and I of course ceased to exist as well, then really "nothing" would be the right thing to say. If existence perished and no one was left to say anything was left alive or for that fact anything left, then wouldn't it just be "nothing." In attempting to predict the future, I believe we neglect the present. But who doesn't like a good religious doomsday prediction.
