NYAB Event - Alison Blickle “History of Magic, Part III…Uncrossing”

Alison Blickle “History of Magic, Part III…Uncrossing”

Kravets/Wehby Gallery

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The Kravets/Wehby Gallery presents History of Magic Part III…Uncrossing, by Alison Blickle.

Myths and stories have a timeless quality where the details change, but the essence remains the same. The third and final act of Alison Blickle’s self-created allegorical tale is no different. History of Magic, Part III…Uncrossing brings a sense of closure to the epic journey of the hermit-turned-heroine depicted in the previous two installments of Blickle’s History of Magic series. Though, the previous exhibitions provide a greater context for the evolution of said story, the implicit narrative presented within this new body of work functions on its own merits.

There is a rigid choreography to the figures in Blickle’s paintings reminiscent of theatrical scenarios performed on the stages of ancient Greece or Rome. Carefully constructed scenes employ aesthetic elements from a variety of historical sources, but this stylistic eclecticism is not random or pointlessly showy. Blickle’s influences are seamlessly merged with a delicate sophistication that allows for the works to exist in a timeless interstitial gap of the psyche. The exhibition is multi-faceted, but singular in its ultimate goal. Ceramic objects are coupled with paintings as a means of providing tangible “evidence” for the ritualistic moments being depicted in the scenes of Uncrossing. Akin to sacred objects placed in front of an altar, these sculptural works function as a physical connection to the personal growth experienced by the protagonist throughout this series.

Blickle’s approach to art making triumphs hybrid elements of history while simultaneously creating a visual lexicon that is very much her own. Pattern, adornment, and the figure remain consistent throughout the works, but clever application and placement of these components allow these repeated mechanisms to flourish in a variety of ways. Allegorical tales are generally metaphors for the human condition, and the work presented in Uncrossing addresses this experience in a truly dynamic fashion.

Alison Blickle currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. There is a feature article about her work in the March, 2015 issue of Juxtapose Magazine.