Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art

Department

Art

First Reader/Committee Chair

Scalissi, Nicole

Abstract

¿Cómo Anda La Chamba?/How’s Work? explores the conditions, experiences, and broadness of what labor is and how we see labor currently. Alexander draws on his lived work experiences to question how companies operate and to challenge the way workers are often undervalued and treated as disposable. Raised in a working-class family, Alexander’s view of labor was shaped not only by his lived experiences, but also his parents’. Each artwork communicates a different work environment and experience that he’s had. These places and interactions have influenced his work by making him question the definition of labor and how the working class functions in these systems. Materials such as diamond plate and wood are taken from these environments and are used as canvas’. By replicating the patterns of materials, hardware, and tools used in these work places, Alexander uses these objects to reference back to the working class.

Alexander poses questions that came to him while working at various jobs, such as questioning the value of labor, the disposability of workers. the treatment of workers, and the fulfillment of these jobs. These questions pose a greater one that is constantly on his mind: Is this my purpose? In a time when labor and workers are stretched thin, questioning the value of one’s labor and purpose in job structures is at the forefront of Alexander's work. Whether someone is entering, leaving, or currently a part of a workforce, concerns about their purpose and value should be raised, especially since the structures within many workplaces may not prioritize them.

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