Deters uses the medium of embroidery as a form of meditation. Her practice is deeply rooted in consent and with her own struggles with body positivity and her continual research on queer and erotic art. While continually working on her practice, Deters is a free-lance writer that interviews artists, writes art reviews as well as about the queer art world.
I believe sex and sexuality is beautiful and should be celebrated, and that through the care, respect, and sensitivity with which I treat the very sexual nature of many subjects and works, others will come to believe that, too.
What does your art aim to say to your audience?
I believe sex and sexuality are beautiful and should be celebrated and I hope that through the care, respect, and sensitivity with which I treat the very sexual nature of many subjects and works, others will come to believe that too. I consider every human being a ‚living archive‘ a unique individual that has experiences and stories worth documenting and remembering. I hope that by focusing on normal men and women in my Send N00dz series, as well as the forgotten stories of sexy men and women that have graced the covers and pages of ‘dirty’ magazines, like Jessica Hahn, that my audience will realize every human experience is unique and worth sharing. My hope is that my work enables viewers to see the unique beauty in themselves, as well as in all types of bodies and forms of sexual expressions.
But in particular, most inspiration comes from research into the history of sex, sex work, and the sex industry as a whole and the various people that were and are a part of that world.
Alexandria Deters interview new york 
Alexandria Deters interview new york
Where from do you get ideas for your artwork?
From my life and from constant intake of random history, events, people, and whatever fascinates me. Nothing is really off-limits to me. The more taboo, the more I am drawn to it, the more I want to learn about and somehow incorporate it into my art to share what I have learned. But in particular, most inspiration comes from research into the history of sex, sex work, and the sex industry as a whole and the various people that were and are a part of that world. I love uncovering the history of models and centerfolds of magazines like Playboy and Penthouse because it forces people to relook at these women and men in a positive and at times celebratory light.
How important is critical thinking?
I think critical thinking is very important. How can one function in our society, far less in the art world, without critical thinking? All art would be shallow and empty with nothing beneath the surface and the world as we know it would end up like a horrible nightmare episode of one “The Real Housewives” shows on Bravo. But life, and discussing people, in general, would be very one-dimensional if critical thinking was never part of the equation.
Do you currently have a daily routine?
Yes, it is hard not to at the moment when not leaving my house. Having a routine helps with my sanity. I am a creature of routine and comfort. I like things generally done a certain way. Every morning around 5:30 am I am woken up by purring with one of my cats on my head and the other cat meowing until I get up and feed them. Then I take my ADHD medication and go back to sleep for a couple of hours until I wake up back up. Once up I check (waste some time on) my phone, then take a shower and pour myself a cup of iced coffee. Then I go into my living room and turn on the local news to listen to while going through work emails and getting other tasks related to work completed. I could go on but the minute details will be quite the yawn. But I digress. I have been fortunate and have been able to work full time at home during the current crisis we are in. Most of my daily routine circle around work and making sure I also stay sane. In the evenings I always leave time to work on my embroidery and whatever other projects/writing assignments I am currently working on. Oh, and I usually have some sort of history or crime documentary on in the background. I have this terrible need to constantly take in information and analyze it. Wondering how it affects our lives today, or how it might affect mine. History is endlessly fascinating, wouldn’t you agree?
I have this terrible need to constantly take in information and analyze it. Wondering how it affects our lives today, or mine. History is endlessly fascinating, wouldn’t you agree?
What do you expect from other people?
In this day and age, I have learned to expect nothing and to have no expectations. Because it is no one has a responsibility to you or you to them. I instead try to be my best self wherever I am and whoever I am with and hope that through mutual respect and perhaps admiration, we will both want to be helpful and courteous to each other, mutually benefit from our interactions. Then the questions of expectations are irrelevant because they never had to be made in the first place.
Alexandria Deters – www.alexandriadeters.com
