Cohort 52 is a platform for emerging voices from the Applied Art & Design program at Sierra College in Northern California. Cohort 52 is facilitated by Assistant Professor Vincent Pacheco.

5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA 95677
vpacheco@sierracollege.edu

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Sydney Alfonso

“As I worked on the various collages, more facets of human experience began to emerge as I deconstructed and re-arranged the cutouts.“

 

Interview

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

My name is Sydney Alfonso, and I’m currently in my second year at Sierra College, studying Applied Art and Design. My passion for the arts ignited during my freshman year of high school when I enrolled in a Ceramics 1 class. Ever since, I’ve been deeply involved in sculpting and creating ceramic art, and I was honored to receive “Best in Show” at the California State Fair for a sculpture I made during my senior year. 

My love for the arts expanded into digital media, where I discovered a passion for graphic design and its various sectors. I’m constantly seeking ways to merge traditional and digital techniques, allowing me to explore fresh perspectives and push my creative boundaries. As I continue my studies, I look forward to further developing my skills and finding new ways to make an impact through my art.

How much experience do you have with collage?

Prior to this project, I had little to no collage art experience. In the past, I made a handful of digital collages using Photoshop and getting source material from online resources. This was my first experience hunting for physical materials to cut up and assemble on a tangible sheet of paper. It was intimidating to not have the option to go back and undo mistakes once they were made, however, I am satisfied with the results and definitely feel more inclined to include physical source material in my work moving forward. 

 

Collage artists tend to be picky when it comes to their source material. Can you talk about your approach for selecting your images and/or publications?

For this body of work, I found most of my source material from photography books I picked out at the Goodwill. I wanted the images I used to be vibrant, eye-catching, and possibly disturbing. Most of the sources I used in my final compositions came from a LIFE book about American Culture in the 90’s and 2000’s. The large high-quality vibrant images were just what I was looking for.

 

Were there any large themes you intended to explore or unpack before you began with this series of work? Did you stay on theme, or did things change as you began physically cutting and pasting images?

Before beginning this work, I knew I wanted my collages to reflect various aspects of human experience and how it has a profound effect on world-view. As I worked on the various collages, more facets of human experience began to emerge as I deconstructed and re-arranged the cutouts.

 

How did your background and life experiences inform your collages?

A few of these collages come from personal life experiences, while others convey themes of experiences of friends, family, coworkers, or just about anybody that might have shared any notable life experiences with me.

 

What was your environment and set-up like when making the work? Did you listen to music? Did you work in isolation, or were you surrounded by distraction? Do you think this influenced the work you made?

All of my work was done in my room at my desk while listening to music. This was a distraction-free environment that allowed me to fully immerse myself in the creative process and have an uninterrupted workflow. I think some of my best work is made without distractions from others as I don’t feel pressured to work or perform a certain way. It gives me a sense of personal creative freedom and encourages experimentation.

 

Scissors or X-Acto?

I preferred using an X-Acto knife for making clean cuts around subjects, however, I had some trouble making clean crop cuts after the booklet was bound together.

Exhibiton catalog, designed by Sydney Alfonso

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December 4, 2023

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