Alison Blickle lives and works in Los Angeles.
Tell us about your work being shown at the Venice Biennale.
Yes! I have two paintings at the Biennale in a show called Unapologetic Womxn, curated by Destinee Ross Sutton. The show includes work by 34 women artists on the subject of female sexuality. My paintings are based on the story of the Maenads from Greek mythology but set in modern-day LA.
In the ancient myths, the Maenads roamed the mountains and forests performing frenzied, ecstatic dances that put them into trance states. This was part of their spiritual practice. They were a threat to the status quo in Ancient Greece because they didn’t behave like women were supposed to— they were sexually uninhibited, aggressive, and hedonistic. When men in power came to stop their rituals, the Maenads, in their magical trance, tore them limb from limb.
In the world of my paintings, the modern-day Maenads are part of the Time’s Up and Me Too movements in Hollywood. Women banding together, using the power of the internet and social media to slay men who did them harm.
Where in Europe would you like to show your work next?
Paris.
How do you utilize AI in your paintings?
My most recent show was inspired by the Roman god/dess Janus, the two-faced deity who rules over moments of transition and transformation. I made the show as an offering to Janus, asking them to guide humanity through our current technological metamorphosis with AI. I used AI to generate some architectural elements and objects within the paintings, as well as some hands, because I like how weird it makes hands.
What type of emotions are your current works evoking?
Hopefully sadness, discomfort, compassion, and slight anger. I’m currently making a body of work set in a dystopian future where nature doesn’t exist the way it does now. The only way people can experience a “spiritual” connection with nature is as an avatar in a type of virtual reality. The figures and landscapes are over the top idealized to the point of being slightly grotesque and uncanny. The women are having a transcendent experience but in a context that is completely artificial. That idea makes me so sad. And the avatars people are choosing for themselves (in my paintings and in our current world) also make me sad.
Who are some historical artists and artists currently living that inspire you?
Artemisia Gentileschi
William Blake
John William Waterhouse
Lisa Yuskavage
John Currin
Which artists would you like to be in a group show with in the future?
I’m an art history nerd, and think of myself as carrying the torch of classical history painting— large-scale works with groups of figures depicting myths— into the modern day and keeping it relevant and exciting as a format. I’d love to be in a show of classical history painters like Botticelli, Titian, and Rembrandt, with my work as a contemporary example of the genre.
How would you like your artwork to influence the next generation of women in the arts?
When I was in grad school at Hunter in New York, I was told in critiques many times that you can tell my work is made by a woman— as in, that is a problem that I should address. There was also lots of talk of needing to consider the male gaze because I paint women, sometimes naked, beautiful, etc.
That made me so mad, and I decided that I wanted my work to look like a woman made it and that I would never think about the male gaze when making work. It’s boring to think about and honestly, I couldn’t care less. I make paintings that I want to see, period. Those decisions felt so freeing and so right. I hope my work inspires the next generation of women artists to do the same.