Aliça Bryson-Haynes is an installation artist based in Melbourne. Aliça’s site responsive installations are an expanded form of ‘painting’. Materials such as paint, glitter, gold leaf, fruit, spices, crystals and balloons are used to construct her work, which is situated both within a gallery context and the public domain. The ‘known’ qualities of these materials are altered through their unexpected placement, modification and repetition to elicit a sense of ‘wonder’ and surprise.
As part of the event PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT being held on the 6th of August Aliça has created a site specific façade for Colour Box Studio. The installation will add to the long list of impressive solo and collaborative works already credited to Aliça’s name. Colour Box Studio recently spoke to Aliça about past projects and what we can expect from her current installation.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do?
I moved to Melbourne couple of years ago from the UK after doing my BA in London. Last year I finished my MFA at RMIT. I’m an installation artist, both working within the public domain and a gallery context.
Describe your art.
My site-specific installations are an expanded form of ‘painting’. Materials such as paint, glitter, gold leaf, fruit, crystals, spices and balloons are used to construct the work. The ‘known’ qualities of the materials used are altered through their unexpected placement, modification and repetition to elicit a sense of ‘wonder’ and surprise.
How did you come to it?
I’ve been interested in collecting and making as long as I can remember.
Tell us about your past projects and what has been your most treasured creation?
When I was last in Europe I made a series of fruit installations in popular tourist spots that played with the spaces they occupied; Fruit Pyramid (The Louvre Pyramid) and Fruit Square (Trafalgar Square). That was a fun project and got a lot of interest from the public. In Paris police on rollerblades even came to take a look!
Where did you grow up and has it influenced what you create?
I was born and grew up in several parts of Australia and moved to England when I was 17 for about 10 years with a year spent in Indonesia. I moved a lot growing up and I think a result of this I strongly connect with place and space. I lived on a mango farm for 4 years in Broome as a teenager and I think the exquisite light, colours and love of fruit has stayed with me!
What is your current project?
Façade is a site specific project created at Colour Box Studios. It will see the building’s facade covered in woolen blankets transforming it into a colourful minimalist painting.
The blankets and the building have different histories but share both structural repetition and a similar future, they will ultimately be destroyed . Until their fates are met relationships and conversations form between materials, surface, scale and architecture.
Who or what was your inspiration?
I’m often attracted to and start collecting a material before I know what I’m going to do with it. I’ve been collecting these specific types of blankets for a while now. I was interested in taking the blanket ‘outside’ of its usual function.
Where do you feel most creative?
Often when I’m exploring new spaces or playing with new materials.
I also just moved into a new studio at the Abbotsford Convent and am enjoying working there.
What will you be working on next?
I have a few projects coming up, including Art Bootcamp: Future with my arts collective in September, a residency in the Blue Mountains in October and next year a series of public installations in Puebla, Mexico as part of an exhibition called Exchange.
What can visitors expect to see from you when they visit Colour Box Studio?
A façade.
Where can we see more of your work?
Aliça Bryson-Haynes installation façade will be launched on the 6 August from 6pm at Colour Box Studio as part of the “PRESENT PRESENT PRESENT” event.