The Stories We Wear — Allison
As part of MARAZUL’s journey, we have been inspired by the women around us, constantly coming across interesting and inspirational people. It is an honour to now call a lot of these women friends and we wanted to personally understand what it is that draws them and drives them, ‘The Stories We Wear’ is our storytelling series of the women we love and the women we design for.
ALLISON
Allison Kunath is a painter and muralist, who lives in the desert but is drawn to the ocean. A tangible depiction of her self-confessed tension between solitude and connection.
Having spent extensive amounts of time in Central America and with a niggling desire to move and be inspired by ever-changing surroundings and the people that inhabit it, her work is a beautiful portrayal of these intertwined relationships and how they shape the world around us.
She also happens to be one of life’s most elegant and kind souls, a true and honest pleasure to call her a friend.
Tell me about your home, Jackrabbit Studios and how you found yourself there?
Jackrabbit Studios is a 5-acre slice of heaven in the California high-desert, just outside Joshua Tree. I ended up here almost by accident after a friend shared the fresh real estate listing with me saying "this place just looks like you". Apparently a couple of other people thought they found their match too, but I managed to win the bidding war with a sincere and emotional letter to the seller (who happened to be a female artist, too.) She used the space as her sculpture studio, and I'm grateful every day to continue the creative story being spun here.
You live in the desert but you move around a lot, how do you balance stability and transition?
It's a tricky thing. My inner speedometer always seems to want to accelerate, which isn't very zen. And since I have a lot to do most of the time, my main focus right now is pace. Everything still gets done, but I'm practising doing it all much slower. The desert has been a great place to practice recalibrating in this way, and I feel like I'm getting better at maintaining my inner stillness when I'm on the go. Staying consistent on the inside seems like a pretty good way to beat the transition blues.
You are very true to your desire to seek solitude while also remaining connected, a struggle most of us are familiar with, how did you manage to find the balance of the two?
I'd be lying if I said I had this one figured out completely. But I do know that the way I think about this kind of balance has changed. I used to envision a perfect equilibrium where I felt perfectly connected and energized by my relationships without compromising my need for space or feeling depleted by socializing. Now I just know that sometimes I need to be buried in a pile of my favorite people, and not talk to anyone for a week after words. I'm learning to allow myself to be all sorts of ways, fully, and all at once.
Does art guide your travel or does travel guide your art?
A bit of both. I chose places to travel mostly based on how I think I'll feel there. Of course, my expectations are never perfect, and what I encounter (mostly internally) is what ends up surfacing in the work.
You work both in your studio and outside amongst the hustle, depending on the project. Is there a preference and how do the surroundings impact your work?
I really appreciate the momentum and flow of a mural installation. It's a total contrast to the more open-ended meanderings of the studio. But the dream is always uninterrupted studio time. Those periods come with bigger, deeper challenges than fast paced and fully planned installations. But the rewards are often greater, too.
What is your road most travelled?
Top of mind, is the perfectly straight stretch of dirt I rumble down to get to my desert home.
I dream of replacing the unconscious slip into worry or anxiety with a dip into peace and stillness.
What would you like to be your road most travelled?
I'd love for that answer to be about the path I take inward. I want those grooves to become so worn and familiar that I slip into a quiet, soft, reflective space over and over again throughout the day. Something separate from the intentional act of silent meditation. I dream of replacing the unconscious slip into worry or anxiety with a dip into peace and stillness.
Life deals us many cards, some are harder to come up from, to get up and dust off your knees. As someone who has very much carved this life out for her self – what is it that always keeps you going, keeps you focussed or pushes you forward?
I suppose it's equal parts freedom, and fun. If it doesn't get me closer to feeling more fully free or doesn't simply feel GOOD to do in the process... it's probably not gonna be very interesting to me. I often get through the tough or mundane stuff by visualizing how I'll feel once it's complete. A literal light at the end of the tunnel.
Where is the next adventure?
After a year of living full time in the desert, I'll start splitting time back at the beach on the central coast. Finding a balance between the ocean and the desert feels like a pretty good adventure for 2020!
