Alex Da Corte, born in New Jersey, raised in Venezuela and living in Philadelphia, is an artist who describes his work as ‘visual mash-ups’.  He recently completed his MFA at Yale University.  Often incorporating found objects, Da Corte creates multimedia work that belies its material origins.

What are some recent, upcoming or current projects you are working on?  I recently was part of a video project in which several artists each made a video for a song from Leonard Cohen’s New Skin for the Old Ceremony.

If you had one wish what would you wish?  I’d like to be a plastic ghost.

Where did your interest in art begin?  It began in Caracas Venezuela when my mom taught me how to draw.

If you had to explain your work to a stranger, what would you say?  Do you know Jackson Pollock? It’s sort of like that but with cheap plastic stuff.

What kinds of things are influencing your work right now?  Ciara. Dennis Cooper. Oscar Wilde. Janet Jackson. Philly Bodegas.

What materials do you use in your work and what is your process like?  Baskets. Jewelry. Sneakers. Halloween junk. Soda. It’s like a well-choreographed dance.

What artists are you interested in right now?  I just graduated and everybody in my class was doing really weird, inspiring work.  Kate Levant. Sam Anderson. Miles Huston. Tamar Ettun. Kyla Chevrier. Nate Heiges. Aimee Burg. Noel Anderson.

What was the last show you saw that stuck out to you?  Michel Auder in NYC.

What do you do when you’re not working on art?  Ride my bike. Drink coffee. Eat burritos. Hang with my niece.

What are you really excited about right now?  Best Coast. Squid ink. My family.

Andy current or upcoming shows we should know about?  I’m having a show at extra extra gallery in Philly in November.