Alison Blickle

Artist Statement

My paintings depict imagined narratives involving idealized, unnatural women living in a world of imitation-nature, painted in saccharine, jewel-toned colors. The figures are often hybrid portraits of me, or stand-ins for me, in various role-playing situations.

Using a concocted version of myself as a character set in these synthetic outdoors stages, my work touches on issues of the artificial versus the natural. I’m interested in our struggle as humans to balance the wild, animal part of ourselves with the part that likes the structure and security of civilization and culture.

These ideas bring up many questions that I’m exploring in my work: How free are we to determine our own identities?  What kind of culture would be created if modern civilization were wiped out and a group of survivors had to start from scratch? How can we stay in touch with the wild parts of ourselves while living within the order of a “civilized” way of life?