With field trips to different locations in San Diego and Baja California, a group of selected artists spent two years using their environment as a space for research and collaboration to explore new ways of creating art.
“At the time, I was going through many shifts and it felt right to say ‘yes’ to an opportunity that would add to the new dynamics of my life,” says Aleya Lanteigne, one of nine artists in this group, who works in furniture design, woodworking, and sculpture. “I was intrigued by the concept and wanted to learn more about how I could contribute to the larger conversation of what it means to be an artist living in a border city and how our geographical placement allows for binational collaboration.”
The Insite Lab, developed by Carlos Palacios and Andrea Torreblanca, is described as an opportunity for artists in both countries to embark on research for their artwork outside of the conventions of academia. Instead, a group of nine artists began participating in activities in 2022 that included traveling between San Diego and Mexico, meeting and working with specialists in different fields of study to inform each artist’s approach to creating their work. The resulting art (by Lanteigne, Roxana Alvarado, Jair Arias, MR Barnadas, Hector Bazaca, Gosia Herc, Adrian Pereda, Talia Perez Gilbert, and Josh Tonies) is currently featured in “Insite Lab: The Exhibition,” on display at Best Practice in Logan Heights through Oct. 19.
Lanteigne, 31, lives in San Diego’s Grant Hill neighborhood and is a woodworking instructor at the San Diego Craft Collective, adjunct professor at Miramar College and Southwestern College, and a freelance artist. She took some time to talk about her Insite Lab experience and the collaborative pieces she created for this show, learning woodworking as a child with her grandfather, and weekends roller skating at Liberty Station.
Q: You’re one of nine artists whose work is currently featured in the current “Insite Lab: The Exhibition” at Best Practice in Logan Heights. How did the program work?
A: Once a month, we would travel to a pre-planned site, which ranged from a dance studio, university campus, winery, archeological site, etc. Our first, and for me the most notable experience, was at The Lux Boreal in Tijuana with choreographers and dancers Henry Torres and Angel Arambula. They led a series of exercises emphasizing spatial awareness, expressive communication, and the relationship between the body and space. This was a very hands-on experience, the ultimate ice breaker. We were instructed on various exercises, one where we had a ball in our hand, and on the predetermined rhythm we had to place it in the hand of the person to our left, take it back, place it again, then leave it, using our other hand to pick it up, and eventually ing each ball around the circle we formed. This resulted in timing issues and many of us (quite literally) dropped the ball. We were given sticks and told to hold each end against our hand with an opposing participant. We had to only use the force of our hands pressing against the stick to hold it up, continuously moving. We would push lightly, expecting our partner to allow the force, or push back, all while making eye . We finished off the session by creating our own choreography based off of our names through a multidisciplinary approach.
What I love about Grant Hill…
I’ve lived in Grant Hill for a few years, a hidden gem with a unique charm, situated between more notable neighborhoods. Grant Hill Park overlooks downtown and the Coronado Bridge, making it a nice place to lay in the grass and draw, or have a picnic with an amazing view. The lack of retail shops and restaurants means there isn’t much commotion in the area. I feel that time is slower, reminiscent of the neighborhoods where I grew up in Indiana.
Q: Your work in craft features furniture design, woodworking, and sculpture. What is your contribution to the Insite Lab exhibition?
A: On the far wall in the gallery, I have an installation. … Starting on the left, with the work titled “Drawing as Reaction,” you will see a grid of nine digitally collaged drawings, created at our residency in Ensenada. Each piece is a collage of an individual artist’s drawing in reaction to a statement presented to them.
To the right, there is a wall-hung sculpture, which is a reflection of my studio practice. This piece holds a lot of history, having materials from three different chairs (cotton batting, a carved wooden armrest, and upholstered inserts). I felt that it was necessary to add an element of myself, so nested on top of the cotton batting is a 4-inch bundle of my hair.
The next series, titled “Vislumbres/Glimpses,” has four pieces consisting of photos and pages from the sketchbooks of the other participants of Insite Lab, along with my own. These were printed using transparent film, which allowed for additional experimentation when curating each piece. Using a similar method, the three drawings above “Vislumbres/Glimpses” are drawings from my personal sketchbook and drawings created at our residency in Ensenada. These were scanned, enlarged, and printed multiple times on both drawing paper and transparent film. Lastly, there are bits of natural fibers and fabric scattered around the pieces acting as material sketches.
Q: The developers of Insite Lab say that this program is “designed to instigate conversations and experiences around process and research in art making.” Can you talk about some of the conversations that were particularly significant for you during this process, and why they stood out for you?
A: A standout to me is the conversation on the significance of using drawing as a form of communication and idea sharing. Drawings transcend borders and barriers; they can be created swiftly and easily shared and edited. There is something lovely about showing layers of multiple thought processes on a page. This visually shows how impactful this form of communication can be and is what inspired the work I produced for the show.
Q: Where did your interest in furniture, woodworking, and sculpture come from?
A: I’ve always had a fascination with the inner workings of objects and yearned for the understanding of “how” and “why.” Noticing this curiosity, my Grandpa Herb brought me into his woodshop where we tinkered with his projects. I recall helping him make a rocking horse, a bridge for Marion University’s Japanese friendship garden, among other things. What was most memorable was turning a poplar lidded bowl on the lathe with him around age 11. Completely unaware of how dangerous and challenging this process is, I blissfully enjoyed being covered in woodchips and learning how to hold a gouge on the tool rest at the proper angle to create the bowl form. Later, in university, I took a woodworking course as an elective and made the most unstable table you could imagine. Having felt that my first project was inadequate I had to continue taking more courses in furniture design and woodworking to make up for it. Immersing myself in the woodshop, I was finally figuring out the “how” and “why” for myself.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: My mentor and friend, Marty Ornish, would tell me to “spray yourself with Teflon” to allow hurtful comments and negativity to slide off of you. Sometimes you might need two coats, but only in your mind! This has always been helpful to when I go through challenging moments or situations.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: I always have lofi or jazz playing in my home, partially because to help set the mood for the day, but I also like to think that my fur babies enjoy it.
Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: My first thought was to take a trip to the (San Diego) Botanic Garden in Encinitas, where you can experience multiple environments and see a vast array of botanic life. I am sun sensitive, so I prefer to go as soon as they open. Just east is Escondido, where you can catch the latest show at the California Center for the Arts and the Escondido Arts Partnership. At night, I’d bring my skates to Liberty Station and enjoy a few hours of skating and watching the impressive skaters and performers. Lastly, I would take my dog, Miss Maggie Mae, to Fiesta Island Dog park. She enjoys the long walks, being able to smell all the good smells.
