Guerra’s Grit: Artist Alynn Guerra doesn’t have time to lounge around
A regular fixture in the Grand Rapids art scene since her arrival in 2000, the printmaker has honed her battle skills and her art, cutting to the core of what matters.
The days of the lone artist are gone. The romantic genius who slaves away in the studio to save the world has been replaced by the artist-entrepreneur. The tortured soul is out. The savvy creative is in. This series focuses upon Grand Rapids artists who understand what it takes to sustain an art practice here and now.
In Alynn Guerra’s linocut print “The Seamstress,” masses of black fabric gush upon the page. A small woman hunches over her sewing machine, intently stitching the huge mantle that engulfs her. Resourceful, diligent and stubborn, this woman represents the artist herself. And that big black mantle is life.
Guerra has been a regular fixture of the GR art scene since she arrived from Mexico-via-Georgia in 2000 with her friend and sometimes collaborator Carlos Aceves. In that time she has overcome leaky studios, rigged a bicycle powered printing press, maintained a daunting art fair schedule, established the all-women’s printmaking Pinafore Collective, invested herself in an intentional living community, and cultivated a financially self-sustaining studio practice dubbed the Red Hydrant Press. In short, Guerra has honed her battle skills.
In addition to all of the above, Guerra also holds the official title “mama.”
It’s not easy.
“People think being an artist is going to the studio, getting naked, putting on an apron and painting all day while you’re drinking a glass of wine. No. It’s doing research, practicing your craft, preparing your projects, doing accounting (which I hate), cleaning your studio, advertising your work, and on top of that you have to bathe, feed, and take your kid to the park. And you have to walk the dog.”
Being a self-employed artist is not for the meek. First off, there’s the self-discipline. Guerra goes to the studio every day, although that schedule is often contingent upon her daughter Flora’s mood. Then, there’s finances. Guerra dedicates as much time to marketing herself as she dedicates to making prints. When she’s not prepping for art fairs, she juggles in-studio sales, Etsy sales, and commissions. Guerra’s practical about the relationship of capital and creativity.
“You keep a style and people expect that of you. But you also have to grow,” she says. “So, do you stay safe and make money? Or do you find the time to keep growing and explore? At some point, you compromise one or the other.”
As for long term business planning, Guerra has a healthy dose of caution in her approach.
“You can’t always expect for things to go well financially,” she says. “You can’t do something one year and expect it to go well the next. You’re always trying something new. You learn as you go.”
It’s that openness — to learn as she goes — that has strengthened Guerra’s professional practice and outlook.
“In art school they teach you that you must make your name big to be a success, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that my name is not going to be in the art history books… It was liberating to not have to pursue that idea of success,” says Guerra. “I can enjoy my work on a personal level. I’ve stopped calling myself an artist and started calling myself a printmaker. It’s about the work that I do, not about the aspirations that I have.”
Guerra continues to churn out high contrast linocut prints with pops of color, but her content is as vast as life, and her subject matter is always evolving. Some prints playfully depict swallows, flowers and curly-q clouds, while others wrestle with environmental issues from oil spills and climate change to the politics surrounding genetically modified foods.
Skeletons remain a constant in Guerra’s oeuvre. Stripped of class, race, and gender, skeletons represent the essence of humanity within Mexican visual culture. Guerra frequently uses this symbol to speak about basic human concerns that unite all viewers.
Alynn Guerra’s ability to cut to the core of things is what makes her work and her life so powerful. She’s got a lot going on and she doesn’t have time to be distracted. She also doesn’t pretend to be that luxurious, wine-drinking artist lounging in the studio. Instead, Guerra is a realist.
Artists have obstacles to face, and she doesn’t shy away from the challenges before her. In fact, Guerra overcomes many of those challenges with grace and resolution.
It’s fitting that her last name translates to “war.” Guerra’s got grit.
New to Red Hydrant Press: Introduction to Printmaking Class
Curious about the process of printmaking but intimidated to start on your own? This series of classes is designed for you.
Location: Tanglefoot building
314 Straight Ave SW
Classes are limited to 8 people with a minimum of 3 people.
Four 3 hour classes: $200
Supplies fee: $35
Sign up online here.
Classes will cover the basics of printmaking, including design transfer, translating a sketch into images suitable for relief carving, materials, inks, paper, tools, etc. The goal is that at the end of the four classes, students will be confident to pull prints on their own.
The first class series is now full. Next class begins in March—sign up is available now to reserve your spot in this small, intimate, hands-on course.
The Birthday Print Sale + Giveaway
For the 10th year in a row, Alynn Guerra opens up her studio for a very special print sale to celebrate her birthday.
When:
Saturday, April 21
12–6 p.m.
Where:
Red Hydrant Press
314 Straight Ave SW
