Alexandra Jean Auger
The completed piece she was working on above:
How would you describe the art you make? How did you get started?
I'm a textile artist, and currently that looks like woven fine art tapestries, designed to be wall hangings. To date these are pictorial scenes or woven versions of everyday objects, inspired by the bit of poetry--melancholy or euphoric and sometimes both--found in life's everyday grime and grittiness. I work from my own mobile snaps, or create composites culled from online search results. With every piece, my aim is for the viewer to be struck with that a-ha moment of "I've done that!" or "I've felt that!", even if it only ever reached their subconscious before now.
As a little kid, I thought an artist was a painter in a beret and striped top, and I wanted to be one. “Artist!” I exclaimed with six-year-old confidence when my favourite sitter asked what I’d like to be when I grew up. Imagine my bewilderment when she replied, “what kind?” So I did paint. I drew. I became obsessed with zines and artist's books, even enrolling in a Printmaking minor so I could access the bookbinding courses (those couple classes were great, but I'm a sloppy, impatient printmaker). I take dozens of photos a day and have shot film since high school, but never learned to properly use my camera beyond "automatic". I didn't know weaving was an option.
But by mid-2016, let's say, I couldn't ignore the textiles I was seeing on my social media feeds and at galleries. I was enamoured by complex, painterly tapestries, and colourful, celebratory garments that challenged the idea of ‘dress’. They were clearly moored in tradition, but exhilaratingly modern. I think it was staring at this simple but oddly captivating little tapestry on a friend's wall while snowed in at her apartment that finally pushed me. In early 2017 I enrolled in a two-day Weaving 101 workshop at The Workroom, fully aware it might end as another abandoned pursuit, but it clicked. I loved it and have been weaving since, teaching myself through trial and error to create more complex shapes and to mix colours, experimenting with natural dyes, building my own crappy frame looms. I'm genuinely excited to keep learning more about weaving, which is how I know I've found my thing. It's funny I didn't think of textiles as art until so recently, because really my mother is, and her mother was, textile creators in their own right. It feels good to carry that on.
When do you feel the most inspired / creative?
I didn't think I had an answer to this, but I realize it's when I feel a sense of community, of communal excitement. It's energizing when the people around you are collaborating on artist books, putting on events, combining art and music and food and everything else, teaching each other skills, pooling resources, sharing opportunities, genuinely supporting one another.
I'm lucky to love and live with an artist whose workflow can inspire mine - my husband Lucas is a very talented songwriter and musician, he's always teaching himself something new, and I think you should all listen to his current project, The CUSP. One of my best friends, Zoe Baranski, is an incredible designer and the way she sees the world always wows me. She started school a couple years ago and watching her learn and grow was a huge inspiration for me to go back. Sometimes I'm online on Instagram or wherever and come across someone new-to-me I may never meet and it feels like a zap of energy. I see florists and carpenters and cooks and vintage enthusiasts and self-proclaimed average Joes each doing their thing, making the world more beautiful, and then I don't hate my phone so much. We all have a lot to learn from one another.
I definitely don't feel creative all of the time. I have these really doomed anxious days, where I'm staring into space or idly scrolling for hours, seemingly unable to move. Other days, music sounds really good, life feels purposeful, there's beauty on the streets, and I try to recognize and relish these moments.
When you’re in a creative rut, how do you tap back in?
Take a walk, and really look and really listen-- if I force myself out of the house to stroll even just around the block, especially at golden hour, I'm certain to see something I want to take a picture of, or interact with someone outside my orbit. Sometimes I need reminding that I love living in a city with its infinite possibilities. I'm trying to get back into keeping a journal and not beat myself up if weeks go by unwritten. Something I don't do enough but love is spending an afternoon at the reference library and pouring over all the art books, taking a lot of notes, photos, photocopies. Certain bookshops are good for this too, but the library really lets you get in there. The Los Angeles Public Library Central branch is also just gorgeous to visit, and they have rotating exhibitions as well.
Three years. We moved in September 2020 from an apartment just a few streets away. It was a huge upgrade-- direct access to the outdoors, garage space, western exposure, etc... no bugs! I've spent four and half years in Los Angeles all in. We're about to move away and it's definitely bittersweet. This interview has made me fall back in love with our apartment.
What’s your favorite part of your apartment?
In-unit washer and dryer!! if I'm being completely honest. But I love the "studio" space I carved out for myself, in the living room closet. It's big enough for a desk and small bookcase, and I have my rainbow assortment of yarn on the shelf above my head. There are art postcards and photographs and letters from friends tacked up--the space is simultaneously like a window into my brain and a hug from all the people I love. I've added a clamp light and a chair and there you have it. The whole thing shuts up behind folding doors when I just don't want to think about weaving anymore (though I'm usually working sprawled out on the floor with yarn everywhere, but in theory, ha). It's not glamorous but this is the first time I've made space for myself as an artist - or even admitted that I am an artist that needs space to work in. Turns out, believing in yourself is immensely helpful (barf, but actually). I'm proud of myself for that.
Describe your dream dinner party: what would be on the table and who would be sitting there?
I picture a long wooden table heaving with wildflowers (definitely lilacs amongst there) and twinkling with candles. I like a very thin beeswax taper, and these drippy colour-changing ones. Baskets of fresh bread--a mix of crusty baguette and rosemary focaccia- with herbed salty butter moulded into fun shapes. Sardines in olive oil. Piles of perfectly roasted veg, the sort that you take a bite and can't believe someone's made vegetables taste so good, and they laugh at your delight because it's so simple. Arugula beet salad with a pinch of cinnamon, that's the secret ingredient. There are many bottles of light, juicy, chilled red wine selected solely for their cute labels, which all end up being delicious. There are also jugs of WATER, something that always seems to be forgotten at dinner parties until you're feeling it the next morning.
I want steak frites, but I'm not much of a cook, so I'll stick to making my gnocchi with a pumpkin and sage sauce. As backup, we'll order in: if I'm not allergic to dairy in this fantasy, a couple of whatever's on special from my buds at Pizza Bouquet, and if I am, that's ok, I am obsessed with the white pie from Hot Tongue who make the best vegan pizza I have ever tasted. For dessert there's going to be a tiered funfetti cake (suddenly it's my birthday) all done up with edible blooms, a box of fresh cinnamon sugar twisties from Just What I Kneaded, and a cheeky little bowl with one menthol cigarette per guest.
I've never had a clever answer to the "who, living or dead..." dinner party question and feel boring for that, so I'm just there with my friends and you're all invited too. Have your party trick ready.
Walk me through what your ideal day looks like:
I am waking up with no alarm to the sun, curled up with Lucas and our cat Domino. A perfect cup of black coffee materializes out of ...somewhere. (I didn't make it, the barista doesn't work on her day off). May as well have a full English breakfast too. First stop off the plane in London this fall will be E Pellicci for just that. I get started on a fresh Toronto Star Saturday crossword.
Nothing else matters in this day as long as I'm swimming in a body of fresh water for as long as I physically can. My heaven would be floating on a still lake under a pink sky; "swimming in a lake" is the short answer to this whole question. Someone's getting the barbecue started back on shore.
Now, sufficiently pruny... I love a solo happy hour drink so let’s have a couple with that crossword I started earlier. Here in Silverlake, I like doing this at Thirsty Crow, where old fashioneds are $8 all night on Wednesdays. Back in Toronto, I'm going between The Embassyand Ronnie’s in Kensington Market, seeing what old friends I run into, asking them to join.
After that I’d better get changed into a really, really great outfit for that above-mentioned dinner party. Getting ready is half the fun. It goes without saying this day's sunset was god-damn gorgeous. I take many pictures, in fact, I think I’ve shot a whole roll today.
Someone there convinces the group to go dancing, always most fun when unplanned. I went to Club Underground at Grand Star Jazz Club for my birthday last year and had one of the best nights in a long time screaming along to old indie pop faves, but I’m just as happy jumping around someone’s living room to my “100% LIVE FOREVER EUPHORIC FUQQIN BLISS” playlist, open to additions. This goes on late, but not too late, I need to be asleep before the sun comes up.
I make myself a cup of tea, but I’m falling asleep before it’s cool enough to drink—fully moisturized, fresh pyjamas, fresh sheets, with all my shit plugged in. Can’t wait to do it all over tomorrow.
Favorite products:
If asked for a beginner loom recommendation, I stand by the one I learned on and still use:
I love my Quail greyhound salt and pepper shakers, Greta and Hazel.
Are linen sheets worth their price tag? Couldn't say, but I don't regret investing in these ones, which just feel luxe to fall into and will be moving with us.
Something you’d like to learn:
Well, I'm going back to school and starting a BA in Textile Design this September at Central Saint Martins in London, so I am full-on ready to learn. I want to make bigger and better fine art weavings, and also translate what I do beyond wall hangings to wearables, homewares, and who knows what else. I'm specifically itching to learn jacquard weaving, to knit, and to properly use a sewing machine. When I think of how infinitely better my life's gonna be when I can alter and repair my own clothing... Wow. I want to improve my Spanish. I want to learn to drive... that's a bit of a personal joke at this point, because anyone who knows me knows I've been talking about it for going on ten years, and never learned the whole time I lived in LA, which might have been useful.
What’s your sign?
Gemini Sun, Gemini Moon too. Libra rising.
Advice for living a creative life:
Dedicate time to it. I'm a slow weaver, and weaving is slow work already. I don't get to my loom every day, though I'd like to; I make time in between working a full time restaurant job and trying to live my life. In the moments I do have free, I'm trying to commit precise hours to making work as though someone else is paying me to; treat it as a job. There's this idea that true artists are always walking around struck with creative genius, that they can't help themselves but live as these strange, passionate artist caricatures unsuited for regular labour. It's a bit unromantic to think of creating as work, but I've learned it's definitely work, it's discipline. I do get those sparks sometimes- maybe it's just a turn of phrase or simple image- and I have to make sure I make a note immediately. But when it comes to the actual over and under physical weaving, I schedule that into my day.
I have a terrible habit of comparing myself to artists who are further in their career, or whose circumstances allow them to create full-time. Don't do that.
Favorite books, films, podcasts:
Weaving allows me to create while consuming; I can listen to a book or watch shows while I work, which is nice. Unfortunately for my credibility, I don't consume very "high art" during these times, haha. Like, I listened to the entire Confessions of a Shopaholic series while weaving my last piece (it's really fun, to be honest), and I'll rewatch comfort films or people's apartment tours on YouTube, nothing I have to look at too closely or that interferes with what I'm making.
I like music podcasts - Bandsplain is a favourite - and I'm working through one called Podcast Secrets of the Pharaohs, which is just two guys going through every episode of the TV show Peep Show, my favourite, essentially scene for scene. Why I listen when I could just put the actual show on is beyond me but I've seen it so many times I can basically visualize it anyway.
If I'm not multi-tasking, I like to read a proper physical book, smell the paper. Usually that'd be on a trip, and then the book is forever tied to that place in your mind. Reading Eve Babitz's books when I first came to LA really made the move more exciting.
I go through movie and non-movie phases, I fall asleep easily, I'm sorry. A recently enjoyed discovery is Shallow Grave (1994). My brother Nico and I love watching 'death game' type movies together; if we lived in the same city we'd probably have seen every one ever made by now.
Where can people find you?
You can view my full portfolio on my website, and I am @yuqqy on Instagram.
