Birthday: October 12, 1994
Hometown: Loudon County, VA
Class Year: sophomore
Major: studio art and art history
Minors: leadership studies, renaissance & medieval studies
How long have you been doing art? “I’ve been doing art for most of my life. Painting is something I’ve been interested in over the last couple of years.”
What kind of art do you do? “I always try everything at least once. My main focus right now is digital photography. My photography is definitely something I do for fun because I can charge up my camera then take it out and just go.”
What kind of projects have you been working on recently? “I’ve been doing a series of photo portraits, mainly with people I know. Actually, everything I do is with people I know and people I live with. I take them out into nature, and I see how they can interact with it.”
What sorts of projects do you have planned for the future? “I’m working on a photo manipulation project in which I’m creating a portrait of myself using flowers.”
What do you think is your biggest inspiration? “Honestly, it’s how I feel at the end of the day because I’m inspired to continue on with what I’m doing or to change my direction depending on how I come out of the day feeling.”
Are there any specific artists that drive your art? “My favorite artist is actually Vincent Van Gogh, and the biggest reason for that is because he did not sell much of his work. People thought of him as a failure as an artist; they saw him as being really crazy, as a drunk, a drug addict. He was put into a mental institution… and now he’s one of the most celebrated artists. It’s all about how he continued to persevere with his art even when people told him, ‘No, you can’t do this.’”
Do you have any advice for other artists or art students? “Critiques are going to be your best friend. If you’re unsure of what you’re really doing, go and talk to someone about your work because if you’re honestly just so passionate about it, continue on with what you’re doing. Practice really does make perfect… and having someone who is more experienced in the field talk to you about art, you might realize whether this is really meant for you or if there’s another path that you want to take.”
Lurie’s artwork has been featured in the Ferguson building. Her painting series “Suites” was displayed in early November 2014 next to the Falk Gallery for all of campus to see.
You can check out Alicia’s photography at her Facebook page.