Alexis Hagstrom

Alexis Hagstrom

[BA] Studio Art and Psychology

Tragic Opimism

Once the initial shock of this pandemic has subsided, we can either grovel in our uncertainty or allow these feelings to inspire a new creative project. Reflecting upon the earlier days of isolation, I realized that sheltering near the place I would have finished my undergraduate education was actually the cause of my anxieties. I decided to search for inspiration where I hadn’t found it before.

A solution unraveled while visiting my home town of Ord, Nebraska. I realized that I could make a much greater impact on the community by permanently displaying my work than I would have made in any temporary exhibition. My process of creating the piece was just as important as the finished product. Beginning with a map of Ord, I located places of significance to my upbringing. Overlaying trails and routes I frequented onto the original design created seemingly unrelated intersections to a passerby, but intimate memories to me. This color palette is drawn from the surroundings of the public park it is created in. These colors fill each segment so as to integrate the austere structure with the natural environment in which it was placed. This mural will not only be my gift to the community during these uncertain times, but the creative process will also serve as the closure I have been searching for to end my time in Nebraska. Flanked by a public park strewn with caution tape, “Tragic Optimism” now remains as a reminder that this too, shall pass.