Alison Stinely's Gilded Splinters
In "Gilded Splinters," Alison Stinely utilizes various types of sculpting in collaboration with oil painting in order to create impactful pieces that are independent of a traditional frame. Stinely's work exudes a breath of life that it is everlasting, fantastical, and honest.
Press Release
The desire to incorporate sculptural elements with my oil paintings was born from rediscovering art and architecture of past eras during a stay in Italy where I was able to view such works “in the flesh.” In order to elevate the drama and intrusive nature of the painted narrative, I literally pushed the painting upward and outward. Because these objects were not standalone sculptures but meant to accompany a painting, I initially considered them as over exaggerated frames; considering design elements of the Baroque, the gaudiness of the French Rococo, as well as Medieval architecture.
Having spent most of my artistic career focused on the intricacies of oil painting, I had to overcome a bit of a learning curve in order to craft the three-dimensional figures I envisioned; objects that would both complement and interact with the paintings appropriately. The construction of these forms began in a most traditional sense; using my hands and some clay. As time passed, these sculptural processes began to include other modes such as altering found objects and, eventually, digital automation. As my interest in generating more complex forms grew, I began to study digital 3D modeling and printing. This digitized operation has offered enhanced fluidity in generating the three-dimensional forms necessary to complete each work.
“Gilded Splinters” displays the progression of these sculptural developments as well as a range of painted mark making and color usage from that which is more illustrative to naturalistic. The works encompass age-old techniques such as gilding - and the aforementioned use of oil paint - as well as the relatively new technology of 3D printing. The works included for exhibition embody the religious, cultural, and artistic history that influence me most through the successful merging of materiality and imagery.
PANEL DISCUSSION
Censorship is all around us, from social media to television to academia to government institutions. What is hidden and blocked from view reveals the cultural norms that override expression and - subsequently - artists' efforts to contest such norms. Alison Stinely's art was censored before finding a place at the Linda Matney Art Gallery. Women artists, like Stinely, have had their ideas blocked by institutions for centuries. How does her experience with censorship fit within the era of the #MeToo movement? What does the silencing of female expression in today's culture mean for women? Alison Stinely, Diana Blanchard Gross, Vittorio Colaizzi, Lita Tirak and John Lee Matney held a rigorous panel discussion at the Linda Matney Art Gallery on Saturday, May 19th, 2018 View the Panel Transcript And Exhibition Statement
"...[Stinely] and her proxies refuse to be labeled, restricted, or contained and possess an otherworldly strength beyond the surface of shiny broken fragments." -Dr. Margaret Richardson.
Video profile on Alison Stinely by TUSK