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Local Creative - Alessandro Seminara
This month’s Local Creative, Alessandro Seminara, was chosen from 50 artists selected to exhibit in the 2023 Express Yourself exhibition at Manly Art Gallery & Museum.
Express Yourself is an annual exhibition of artworks by HSC Visual Arts students, selected from the 20 secondary schools across Sydney’s Northern Beaches, including St Luke’s Grammar School where Alessandro attended.
Alessandro’s work Conus Gloriamaris (Glory of the Sea Cone) uses virtual reality to explore humanity’s capacity for imagination in an ever more structured and externally focused world. Alessandro was inspired by the prominent Australian VR artist Shaun Gladwell and French philosopher Gaston Bachelard. The work invites the audience to travel through the dreamer’s mindscape, inspiring contemplation upon our own inner space and freewill to daydream and imagine. This is particularly reflective of the Covid- 19 pandemic during which we heavily relied on technologies for escapism and fantasy.
Growing up on the Northern Beaches, how has the environment and community here influenced your creativity?
Living by the ocean was the inspiration for many of the scenes in my virtual reality artwork. I enjoy incorporating a variety of aquatic animals and environments in my work to create an immersive experience for the viewer. I paired the visuals with audio recordings from natural locations on the Northern Beaches such as the sounds of rain, storms, waves, and seagulls.
Who or what have you learnt the most from, or been inspired by, that you use in your art practice? Is there someone who has been your mentor?
As I chose to utilize a cutting-edge technology, unfortunately there was nobody who could provide me with much advice on how to go about creating my work. Because of this, I relied heavily upon YouTube videos and tutorials to teach myself many of the skills required to not only model but animate 3D worlds. It’s exciting to be part of the first wave of virtual reality artwork, but it does mean you have to be willing to experiment to find out what works.
You are beginning your studies in Product Design this year. How will you incorporate your artistic practice into your studies?
My artistic practice has given me a solid foundation in 3D modelling, which I will be incorporating into my studies as I digitally construct new products and objects. But beyond this, I am interested in the intersection of art and design, and plan to persue the construction and animation of virtual worlds in conjunction with my studies.
What has your experience of being in Express Yourself been like?
To be honest, it was a surprise that I received such good marks for my artwork and was chosen for Express Yourself. This is because I didn’t begin studying art until year 11 and had missed learning most of the traditional art techniques. I don’t think my art teachers expected much of me! However, I view myself as more of a conceptual and experimental artist, so was not discouraged; I just knew I had to find the right medium to express my visions. Being accepted into Express Yourself validated my faith in myself and my medium. I hope it can also open audiences’ perceptions to the potential that technology holds for creating new artforms.
Gallery
All images courtesy Alessandro Seminara
