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About:
Alison Booth is a Taiwanese-American visual artist and teacher. She was born and raised in New York City. Her early interest in visual arts was initially recognized and cultivated by her father, whose background is in poetry and the literary arts. For that reason, she had an early start in appreciating the world from a poetic perspective. Alison’s mother immigrated to the United States from Taiwan to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology; upon graduating, she began her career as a pattern-maker and eventually developed her own clothing line as a fashion designer.
As a child, Alison would compulsively play and fantasize through narratives she created using whatever media she found at hand. Whether she was sculpting with chewing gum found under a table where her father was an English teacher or utilizing more conventional art-making materials provided by her parents to keep her out of trouble, Alison has always loved the process of manipulation and transformation of any material she encountered. Although she has made her share of nosebleed Kleenex-art, Alison has also had continuous formal art-training since elementary school.
The foundation of Alison’s work today continues to be about searching for her own narrative and storytelling. Her work is about personal experiences, often of conflict and turmoil brought about by a tumultuous childhood. Her practice is also inspired by overlooked subjects, especially in nature, that often inhabit a surreal, imaginary environment. Nostalgia, play, observation, and finding a narrative (often purely by chance) are key elements in the process within which the work manifests itself.
Oil Paintings
Drawings and Watercolor
Ceramics and Sculpture
Printmaking
Fashion
Lace Blouse and Orange Stretchy Pants:
Hand-Beaded Dress Made from Upcycled Curtains:
Tulle Skirt with Embroidery:
Satin Slip Skirt:
Cotton-Wool Blend Collared Vest:
Fashion Illustration
Link to my Film Photography: www.flickr.com/photos/alisonbooth/
Statement
Although my work is representational, I typically construct narratives that are conceptually abstract manifestations inspired by personal experiences—very often about devastating and painful events that have taken place in my life, but more recently, also inspired by nature and experiences that bring me joy; the two are not mutually exclusive or clearly defined. Self-expression through the art-making process has always felt instinctive, in the same way that a child will play make-believe, daydream, or have nightmares. The theatrical element of fantasy and play has never really left my creative process.
As a painter, I attempt to employ the expressive qualities of color to convey emotion—the way that a cadmium red can be so full of light and life and vibrance, and also so gruesome and uncomfortably hot. The versatility of a medium like oil paint allows for a thin application that runs and recedes but also has the capacity to bear a visceral, thick smear that thereafter echoes the motion and expression of its making.
Storytelling is the foundation of my artistic process and it is easiest for me to be receptive to inspiration when I am surrounded by nature. However, inspiration is everywhere and is in everything—good and bad all at once and without structure. Sometimes it surprises me, often appearing unexpectedly. Using that inspiration and applying it to my work has proven to be a journey with no discernable destination; I’m still trying to figure out exactly what it is that I’m waiting to discover but I know that I’ll probably never fully figure it out. It’s an ever-evolving, intangible thing that I get a taste of, and that’s enough impetus for me to keep on searching.
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