Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alex Ranniello. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alex, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I studied at The University of Hartford’s – Hartford Art School. When I graduated from the university in 2017, I had really no formula for making money nor any direction. The first thing I did (aside from a crappy part-time job) was volunteering my time in local galleries and studying under other professional mid-career artists. Those artists were doing workshops, large-scale projects and other really cool work, I was essentially a sponge those first few years. I learned a lot from a technical standpoint, but I didn’t have a full grasp on the triadic balance between 3 key things: creating the artwork, being social & networking, and running your own business. I picked up so many tips from local professionals who were in the mix doing things and making things happen in their communities.
I started getting a more nuanced perspective of the big picture by listening more to podcasts, reading historical texts and novels, watching documentaries, and going to shows, virtually anything of perspectival significance that I could get my hands on.
From there, I learned the value of critical things expanding my descriptive artistic vocabulary, becoming a great listener, time management & optimization, enhancement of the work flow, the value of agorism and an ability to barter with others, as well as capturing a creative ‘moment’ in the cultural landscape sense. With so many changes in my personal life, my biggest inflection point came within the arena of time management and balancing social relationships with those closest around me.
Alex, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I graduated from The Hartford Art School in 2017 with an emphasis in Painting & Drawing including dual minors in Ceramics and Art History. I started as a workshop assistant/instructor at my hometown Wethersfield Academy of the Arts and had my own small studio practice. In college I derived my biggest influences from California/West Coast heavy-hitters such as David Hockney, Georgia Okeefe, Wayne Thiebaud, and Richard Diebenkorn – and my personal hero Matisse. Not limited to painting, I always had an inclination to mix media. My forte (in undergrad) was working in oils. I later incorporated encaustics, charcoal, paint markers, acrylics, conte, and pastels – essentially whatever material ‘fit the bill’ to compose an image and construct a narrative. As I began to find my voice, I studied at a post-bac single artist residency during the Summer of 2018 in Paducah, KY.
I always had a love and passion for portraiture in both my studio & mural work. I started painting large scale murals in 2019, While I was working for all local clients, it was merely a continuation of my studio practice in some sense. I was constructing compositions to tell a story with an infusion of my love and inspiration from Summertime and a West Coast lifestyle.
After a few years, I started to pile up a handful of solo and juried group exhibitions under my belt including some awards. Fast forward to 2024; What sets me apart is my unique fusion of liberty, creative independence, an attention to beauty, and common ground with everyday lives of people. My artwork tells stories, and connects with everyday people who may not be interested in art (directly or indirectly). It has always been a goal of mine to create art that speaks to the soul, that is accessible at every level, and that doesn’t compromise on beauty. Something I pride myself on is the ability to walk a mile in many different people’s shoes. I’ve worked as a grocery store manager, a hotel worker, paving, a teacher, and so many other regular jobs – its given me the ability to appreciate the opportunities at hand and feel a more accurate pulse of the world around me. Some of the most rewarding work I’ve ever done was being the founder of a local artists collective called ‘GoingPlaces’ so I’ve worked and connected with many different people at all levels particularly during that endeavor. We would help galvanize the local community by promoting local artists online (as advocates) set them up with sustainable opportunities, and put together annual community shows partnered with local businesses to help uplift the community.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I knew about local organizations such as my local chamber of commerce, arts & culture commissions (in my local neighboring towns), and other databases for reaching out accessing contacts of local businesses. If I had the tools to do my own leg work back in college, I would have been way ahead of the game in paving my own path forward and creating my own opportunities.
Much of the studio practice and mural world is all RELATIONSHIPS. The sooner you can break bread with your neighbors and lend facial recognition with those in your community, the better!
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Yes certainly, I live in a ‘blue bubble eco chamber’ hear in the New England area, so my dissident views and beliefs on Philosophy and of Libertarianism (most notably) are radically different than anything most people in my community have ever even been exposed to. There are a handful of fantastic books that, once I got my hands on them, opened me up to an entire new perspective lens of viewing the culture and world. They radically transformed me as a creative independent thinker and fostered a brand new community of people from all walks of life in the process.
In my early twenties, The Fountainhead & Atlas Shrugged certainly changed my life. As I got older, I became a huge fan of Ludwig Von Mises, Murray Rothbard, Thomas Sowell, Walter Block, Hans Hermane-Hoppe as well. All these authors challenged me to think deeper (as an artist) in a heterodox manner outside the box. The creative inspiration from many writers in The Liberty Movement equipped me with creative juice and improved problem solving skills to take on my own projects and opportunities and fostered unbridled independence. When it comes to classical literature, I was always a big fan of Nitschze, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Camus, Kafka, and Orwell all the way up to the last century with Hemingway, Steinbeck, and Didion to name a few of the heavy hitters. There I really grappled with my unique position in History and the period I am living through as an artist. Those fantastic authors also helped remind me of the cultural periods and shifts that took place throughout history and the important role artists played in making revolution into a reality for the sake of others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Alexandercalifournia.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/abranniello
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/alex.ranniello
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-ranniello-6a2724158/
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AlexanderCalifournia?fbclid=IwY2xjawGce1JleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHTL6o0pQzHMx5H92TI1p8IjXU3Z_KfwsQ7OG0n-weXXqfSvf735TkXaUNQ_aem_XkkkBS_X6ksU7KJL0bvrlw
https://culturalyst.com/abranniello?fbclid=IwY2xjawGce1BleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQIZBiGE9Mhbzigtgdo5pI92KvAYwid-0kNvPIDFQ_Sr6v4oEhChD7eXbg_aem_eBABSwemBFFCTBhBGCYO9A
https://www.creativeground.org/profile/alex-ranniello-alexander-califournia?fbclid=IwY2xjawGce01leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZaBGetcFacb8BmvMPPNo4cDgkNYcdtGKUd6c-C8UwxIsZVyU7Cy6FsXgg_aem_9Hjoo8hYF4AIbjUd15F1Tw
Image Credits
Photos by Chris Martin & Cayce Santiago