Behind the Design: Q&A with Artist and Illustrator Chelsea Alexander

Can artwork encourage us to get exterior? That’s one of many questions artist and designer Chelsea Alexander requested herself when the Outdoor Afro Inc + REI Co-op design staff approached her to create an unique sample for items within the newest tenting and mountain climbing assortment. Slightly than method the duty as merely a 2D illustration that may be printed on tents, camp pillows and comforters. Alexander discovered herself each reflecting on the affect nature has had on her and taking a more in-depth go searching at how—and why—different folks may not have the identical affection for “roughing it.”

“One thing I realized about this challenge is that not everybody has a optimistic expertise with nature—which I assumed everybody did,” she says.

Alexander has spent a lot of her life in cities each small and enormous—she grew up in Austin, Texas, and has lived in New York Metropolis and London—however she is an avid runner and loves spending time exterior for self-rejuvenation in addition to inspiration. She wished to tug imagery and inspiration from nature itself to create a optimistic narrative as she designed patterns for the Outside Afro and REI communities. “I wished to point out a broader image of tenting—not nearly tents, however about experiencing water, experiencing the altering of colours, studying about vegetation, and many others.,” she says.

Research have proven that Black folks and different communities of coloration don’t all the time have the identical entry to the outside that white People do. In accordance with Trust for Public Land analysis, 1 in 3 folks lack trails, parks, campgrounds, playgrounds or different leisure areas inside strolling distance from residence—a disparity referred to as “the character hole.” Outdoor Afro, a nationwide not-for-profit and longtime REI associate, has spent practically 15 years encouraging Black pleasure within the outside with group experiences, management coaching and programming designed to empower Black folks in every single place to see themselves in nature.

Along with geographical entry to nature, the out of doors neighborhood has a illustration drawback relating to gear and attire: A majority of merchandise designed for the outside are made by (and largely for) white recreationists, with out contemplating the precise wants or cultural connections that Black, Indigenous and different folks of coloration might want or want. In 2022, the for-profit arm of Outside Afro launched its first collaborative hike collection with REI Co-op, in search of to fill that want within the out of doors business by offering garments that significantly match and complement Black our bodies, and equipment that may assist everybody—however particularly marginalized people—get exterior with ease and luxury.

For this up to date assortment, Outside Afro Inc. and REI invited members of the Black neighborhood to take part in a sleep insights examine and provide suggestions on the brand new collaborative tent and sleep programs. The end result? An oversize satin camp pillow that helps all hair sorts and types, together with pure and curly textures, by lowering frizz-creating friction; a convertible comforter that can be utilized as a blanket, sleeping bag or double-wide cowl for 2; and a daring, shiny new tent that has area to face and stretch—all that includes Alexander’s lovely natural-abstract imagery. “Throughout this challenge, I wished to visually create one thing engaging and alluring for this neighborhood,” Alexander says. 

We not too long ago interviewed Chelsea Alexander through e-mail from her residence within the U.Okay., and he or she shared ideas about her relationship to nature, what conjures up her artwork and the way she’s utilizing operating (particularly London Marathon coaching) to honor her late mom.

What are your recollections of tenting or getting exterior as you have been rising up, and the way do you search outside time now?

I’ve one reminiscence that taught me about tenting with household, and I’ve one other set of recollections the place I realized about tenting individually at an precise camp. What I realized with my household is that even throughout accidents and mishaps, we all the time discovered a solution to snort about it. (The brief story is principally my mother and father didn’t have expertise placing up a tent earlier than and it rained actually onerous. Our tent rapidly stuffed up with rain. We wakened in water, however discovered a solution to snort about it.) As for my particular person expertise at camp, that’s the place I actually was examined. I realized to kayak on my own, I realized to make mates, I realized to begin a fireplace, I realized to dive, I realized to not be afraid of heights (because of tree hopping and paragliding). Finally, I realized the right way to be snug being afraid of recent issues, which is what I carried into my teenage years and maturity—and nonetheless carry at the moment. 

Have you ever had an extended relationship to REI Co-op, and may you inform us how this collaboration with Outside Afro Inc. and REI got here to be? 

I’ve truly all the time cherished REI. Whilst a child [growing up in Texas], my mother and father would take me there to purchase sports activities gear, as a result of I performed quite a lot of soccer as a baby. This collaboration got here by way of [REI art director] Todd Durkee and his staff: They discovered me (I nonetheless don’t fairly understand how!) and I instantly cherished the story of REI and Outside Afro. It linked to me and my very own story very deeply. I work quite a bit in communication and purposeful/impactful artwork and design. They approached me with an issue: connecting to those communities visually. My resolution was to tug imagery and inspiration from nature itself, to create a optimistic narrative. The narrative I constructed was by way of phrases or affirmations, and shapes that supplied a distinct tackle all the weather of tenting.

Your work appears so natural, with shiny colours, fluid strains and shapes that mirror the gorgeous chaos and curiosity of the pure world. Are you impressed by nature, and have you ever all the time been impressed by nature?

I delight myself on using patterns from the issues I’ve skilled in my life. I believe I’ve all the time been impressed by what’s round me bodily. Natural world are undoubtedly prevalent in my life. I’ve completed quite a lot of operating for 2 years, and I make it a degree to be very observant throughout my 14-mile runs. There’s a lot to expertise, and since I’m a really delicate individual visually I take notes of recent shapes and varieties I discover all through my walks and runs. I’m additionally a standard graphic designer, so I really like increasing the concept of communication by way of letters and self-expression. On this challenge, I actually wished to make the most of letters as varieties to mix with components of nature to precise a narrative in regards to the Outside Afro and REI collaboration specifically. 

Once you dream about getting exterior, what does that imply or seem like to you? 

I’m going again to this love I’ve for operating lengthy distances. Earlier than I get up, I are inclined to dream about happiness and freedom. I’m by no means as pleased and free as I’m on the times I run 14 miles. I don’t know what it’s, nevertheless it appears like I don’t must do something besides go searching me and put one foot in entrance of the opposite. No strain, simply observing the wonder that already exists. I believe an excessive amount of these days, we as creatives are anticipated to make one thing good and delightful on a regular basis—however we’re imperfect, we’re human. Going exterior simply proves that: We are able to’t make nature, we are able to solely recognize it, draw inspiration from it and respect it.

What was it like designing a sample for a tent? How was it totally different than different textiles, and what kinds of concerns did you take into consideration? 

I believe designing for a tent was truly the very last thing on my thoughts, oddly sufficient! I really like designing for giant, giant items of textiles and nice artwork, which I knew would work seamlessly for REI. I actually centered my designs on the storytelling facet of the challenge: How a lot did I wish to present visually, and what components/shapes confirmed these emotions precisely? For instance, the blue piece I designed is supposed to evoke motion inside nature. The shapes I used have been deliberately chosen to suit totally different engaging natural world. I used to be eager about how I might mix design, textiles and this idea of connection and storytelling, which might be attainable to increase as a bigger sample for various wants!

Do you would like you might be a fly on the wall for the parents who’re taking this tent out? What sorts of ideas and emotions do you hope this piece evokes for them? 

Oh, if solely! I hope that individuals can see by way of the designs within the solar! I hope they’ll see by way of them figuratively too, and higher perceive their very own connection to nature is intricate, collaborative, inventive, complicated and delightful similar to the designs I made for this challenge. I hope it makes them really feel protected, finally. I hope it makes them really feel inventive and curious as nicely, possibly invoke emotions of affection, emotions of hope.

Do you’ve got any out of doors objectives this 12 months? Are you coaching for a race or planning to study a brand new exercise, spending extra time doing something specifically?

It is a very private query for me, truly. But it surely defines me and the place I’m in my life proper now. I began to run constantly virtually a 12 months and a half in the past to deal with being an on-and-off caretaker for my mother on the time. I simply misplaced my mom to breast most cancers in December of 2023. Earlier than she handed, I made a decision I’d do as many breast most cancers runs, triathlons, marathons, something—as a lot as I might, for the remainder of my life—as a result of, a part of me wished so badly to really feel her ache, and empathize together with her throughout her remedy. So now I put my very own physique by way of hell to proceed to remind myself how inspiring she was to me.

I believe this has additionally introduced me nearer to my very own curiosity in nature once more, as I discussed:  I’m all the time taking visible notes once I’m operating for 2 to a few hours at a time. I’m operating within the London Marathon this April! I’ll be supporting Breast Cancer Now, a nonprofit analysis and assist group right here within the U.Okay. The aim is to lift 2,500 kilos and never faint through the race!

The put up Behind the Design: Q&A with Artist and Illustrator Chelsea Alexander appeared first on Uncommon Path – An REI Co-op Publication.

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