IB Visual Arts LINCOLN SCHOOL Costa Rica: ALANA FILLOY Ib Art Lincoln School Costa Rica 2015

THE ARTIST STATEMENT

Alana Filloy

Art is liberation. Simple, yet intricate. It is for this that I chose to pursue my love for art and include the IB Art Course within my course load. One of my favorite aspects about art is the freedom. The freedom to do whatever makes me feel, genuinely feel. Therefore, the purpose of my work and efforts throughout this two-year course was to focus on externalizing, and facing my inner conflicts.

During this course I have experimented with different media such as watercolors, acrylics, oils and printmaking. Early on, after several hours of practicing, I figured out that drawing was not my calling at all. I preferred and felt more comfortable with other techniques such as assemblages, mixed media and textiles. I nevertheless understood the importance of drawing skills and struggled throughout these two years to develop and better my skills.

When researching for my cultural and artistic connections I came across a very important idea. The fact that my art is somewhat centered on releasing and tending to my internal conflict and overall peace of mind, my work is very influenced by a branch of Conceptual art titled Confessional Art. Artists such as Louise Bourgeois influenced my work greatly as it allowed me to understand that expressing one’s deepest feeling is not only OK, but extremely therapeutic. My art allowed me to express myself while subconsciously healing my soul. I cannot express in sufficient words how much I owe to art and the people who have influenced and supported me throughout my journey.

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