Smotherland : Solo exhibition by Alison Erika Forde

About

The International 3 is pleased to announce Smotherland, Alison Erika Forde's first solo exhibition. Forde draws on her dreams and memories of past experiences to produce fantastical images that acknowledge the capacity of daydream to allow us to consider the complexity of the everyday. Her imagery and illustrative style is influenced as much by graphic novels, comic strips, street art and kitsch as it is by fine art's history and whilst initial viewing suggests a disarming playfulness, her work is imbued with a vital mischief and dark humour. Wide-eyed characters frequently face impending doom and uncomfortable scenarios are enacted on the picture's periphery. Moving away from a previously exclusive use of 2D, Smotherland will see Forde expanding this charmingly malevolent world to encompass 3D. Giant cardboard figures will provide a menacing backdrop to a group of intricately painted wooden peg people and a new collection of paintings on charity shop sourced pictures and donated second hand materials. Smotherland will be accompanied by commissioned texts written by freelance curator Bryony Bond and D.I.Y craftster and writer Seleena Daye. Alison Erika Forde (born 1985, Greater Manchester) gained a first class BA (Hons) Fine Art from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2008 where she also won the British Airways Student Prize. Alison's recent exhibitions include, ‘How we work' at Blackburne House in Liverpool and ‘Not at this address' at Bury Museum and Art Gallery. The International 3 has also presented her work at Preview Berlin 08, VOLTA 5, Basel, The Manchester Contemporary and VOLTA New York. Alison has an upcoming solo exhibition at MasART Galeria in Barcelona followed by The International 3's presentation of her work alongside Rachel Goodyear's at NADA Art Fair Miami Beach 2010 from 2nd — 5th December.. Work by Alison Erika Forde is held in the Olbricht Collection and in private collections in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, U.S.A. and U.K. For further information / images contact Paulette Terry Brien ptb@international3.com