Ferndale DIY Profile: Alana Carlson, Painter, Installation Artist

As part of Ferndale Patch's DIY Project, we spoke with Alana Carlson about who she is and what she does. Learn more about the DIY Project .

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I've been a Ferndale resident for about six years now, cranking out weird paintings while trying to get my bearings in this fabulous art and music scene. I wear lots of black, because I am messy. During the day I work at a great health food store in Ferndale called the . I consider myself primarily a painter, but have been fortunate enough to have met some wonderful people here and have been able to branch out- into experimental keyboard playing, installation art, and even store window signage. 

2. What does DIY mean to you?

My reaction to this question is threefold: first, I think of the classic American pulling-up of one’s bootstraps, a Victory Garden mentality. Then, I think of hippies. Then, I think of the “getting it done” montage in an 80s teen movie. I think that if a Venn diagram of these three classic stereotypes could be created, the overlapping portion would speak to my ideas of DIY.

3. Tell us about a DIY project (or projects) you have worked on and why it was DIY.

In general, I try to make the stuff I can when I have the time. I sew a little, make my own purses, things like that. It’s partly out of a general disgust with a commodity culture in which things are mass-produced and poorly made, and people are poorly paid to make them. There’s also the satisfaction of knowing you are capable of making what you need for yourself!

In terms of working with others as part of a DIY community, one of my favorites is having a booth at the People’s Arts Fest at the Russell Industrial Center every year. I feel like this Festival encourages people who would not normally consider setting up a booth at an art fair to do so; the booth fee is low and the crowd diverse and open-minded. It generally winds up consisting of a bunch of folks you probably won’t see at many other art fairs. There are minimal numbers of lawn ornaments and boring landscapes.

I’ve also been lucky enough to work with and Jason Worden of the Axis Mundi Collective, which is an umbrella title for a lot of smaller record labels. We collaborated on an installation at the Berkley Front, part of which consisted of a maze of curtains separating one band (Forget) so that no member could see another play; they had to listen to one another. The audience was also forced to traipse through the maze to find the musician they wanted to listen to at the moment.

4. Why does the DIY attitude fit Ferndale?

Ferndale is a wonderful place for people who want to build the life they want to live. It’s a walkable/bike-able city. People are generally friendly, and there’s a nurturing vibe towards artists, crafters and musicians of all kinds. There are great places like the , and that focus on selling works by local artists. Hybrid Moments, the , and the Rustbelt serve as venues for local music, as well!

5. Who is your favorite DIY artist/musician/human?

As far as “favorites” go, there are way too many inspiring people in my life to choose just one favorite person, artist, or musician. In terms of the DIY lifestyle, however, I would point to the work of Andrea Zittel (A-Z Industries). Her ethos embodies the idea of doing it yourself: from making a garment for herself for every season, to building an entire island and living on it for a year. I highly recommend looking her up.

This profile is part of Ferndale Patch's month-long  where we talk with residents, artists, musicians, crafters, anyone with an opinion about DIY. The project will lead up to the DIY Street Fair Sept. 16-18. If you'd like to participate, email Ferndale Patch editor Terry Parris Jr. at terry.parris@patch.com.