Artist Bio
Alyssa Barrera is a commercial and documentary photographer and filmmaker pursuing a BS at the University of California, Irvine. Her work has been featured in various group exhibitions and social media spaces. With a keen interest in combining STEM and the humanities, Barrera takes a multidisciplinary approach to image-making by exploring the relationship between the natural world and spirituality.
Environment, body, mind
The concept of “Care and Repair”, as it relates to photographing touch, is a mind to body connection that contributes to stress relief and acts of service for the self and one’s direct community. There are numerous studies about the healing and repairing process of textile activities, such as hydrotherapy, therapeutic touch, animal-assisted therapy, and cooking. Being in direct contact with nature and one's environment fosters a way for individuals to practice self care, no matter what it may be for their needs.
Oftentimes throughout my daily life, I enjoy taking the time away from my screen and just being in the moment with whatever is around me. In these moments, especially when I am outside interacting with nature in some way, I study my environment by grabbing my camera and narrowing in on the textures and shapes of the world, large or small. This eases my mind, and suddenly all that I was focusing on throughout the day goes to the back of my mind and I can live and think freely with the presence of the beauty that encompasses me.
In the moments of silence and tiredness, we can turn inwards to ourselves to gain energy and comfort whilst physically feeling or observing the details of the environment that encompass us. It is through sights, sounds, and touch how memories are made. In my photography, I try to capture how I felt when I was with my closest loved ones, sharing food with them or seeing their spirit come to life when they encountered something they like.
Whether it is through acts of service for others or if you are caring for yourself internally, touch is what we use to feel the world around us and to communicate our love for one another. Touch is memory, and the things we encounter in our day to day lives can remind us of a time when we were younger. Whether it is the feeling of your friend leaning against you, the sensation of a ladybug dancing on your fingertips, a brush applying mascara to your eyelashes, or a dogs paws nudging you to play, touch communicates love, care, and repair without words.