ALISON BLICKLE
"Enjoying the Caviar of Potential Power"
"You Know I'm Yours First"
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My latest work is about the intense intimacy we can feel with someone we are in love with, and how we sometimes place these people on pedestals, deny their flaws, and see them as perfect. Falling in love can also change the way we view ourselves, as we are suddenly seen as wonderful in the eyes of someone else. At the same time, our desire to be loved can make us attempt to present an idealized version of ourselves to others, whether it be to a lover, or to the world when you leave your house.
With these ideas in mind, my figures are shiny and beautiful, almost doll-like. My love for the people and relationships that I paint is sincere, and I want to paint them as beautifully as I experience them. The impossible loveliness of the world within the paintings adds a strange feeling of romanticism to the work. The glossy figures are alluring and glamorous, but also feel unbelievable, as they are too flawless to exist in reality. The push and pull between these two elements is a common thread throughout my work.
I keep the explicit narrative in my work to a minimum in order to focus more attention on the way in which the figures are painted. I’m concerned with color, composition, light, and space, and how I can use these elements to add content to my work.