Alexandra Sheldon’s upcoming solo exhibition, “Piece by Piece,” invites the onlooker to experience the push and pull of shifting emotions, rampant ideas and fleeting moments. Opening at Bromfield Gallery on May 1, the show is comprised of a selection of collages that illustrate life’s complexities and harmonies — and celebrate their coexistence.
Sheldon’s Cambridge studio is just outside Central Square, at the end of a long driveway bordered by inviting greenery and trellises. Inside, a large plywood table is littered with paper of different shapes, colors and textures, intricate calligraphy-inspired drawings in black ink and collages in various stages of completion. Against another wall are shelves upon shelves of art books and a lifetime of completed sketchbooks and canvases.
The room evokes a sense of controlled chaos reminiscent of an elementary school art room, and it soon became clear that it serves a similar role: to foster unbridled creativity. In her exhibition statement, Sheldon explains: “If in real life I can hardly figure out how to live, at least in the studio I can attempt to jam in and explore everything … Collage leads me and frustrates me, entices me, and overjoys me. And in
the end, perhaps it’s those fleeting moments of fun and play in the studio which I love most.” There’s truly no better place to witness and appreciate her process than right here, perched on a metal stool.
Leafing through layers of paper cut-outs, what she calls “her treasures,” it’s difficult to imagine how these pieces will merge into cohesive, poignant works. Yet, for Sheldon, this challenge is the very source of her inspiration. “Usually, I’ll just find one little piece of paper. There’s just this feeling like, I have to do something with this. There’s something magical here. I start something, and then the piece tells me what it wants. I have less to do with it than ever,” she explained.