A Q&A with Frechelle Wilson

Imagine seeing a piece of paper in the middle of the road. For any passerby it’s nothing more than trash, but for Frechelle Wilson that piece of paper represents an endless supply of art just waiting to be made. An Outsider Artist with strong ties to Folk and Eco Art, Wilson examines her own African American roots, as well as the Latino influence of the Border region in her multifaceted pieces. Fresh off two art shows in April alone, her dress series Mother Earth showed at Union Gallery’s Earth Week exhibit, and her piece “Outsider” displayed as part of the Rubin Center’s 10 Squared show.

A self-professed Art Avenue junkie (she recycles our magazines in her work!) her art encompasses everything from paintings to dresses to refurbished stop signs in a merging of influences from her personal history and all the places she’s lived.

AA: Were you always interested in creating art?

Frechelle: Yes, always. I like to incorporate a lot of different elements from recycling in my work. I use earth, so no matter where I’m living I always take a bit of earth. I have earth from El Paso in my artwork. I use holy water from different churches, I have different places send me holy water because it’s a big part of what I do. I use a lot of recycled paper, cardboard, anything I can find, literally, almost anything. I’m big on that, I like to take from where I’m at and not outsource things.

To read more on Frechelle Wilson, pick up a copy of The Art Avenue at Kipps Cheesesteak in Downtown El Paso.