Large-scale two-dimensional and three-dimensional work recalling fantastical fairs and roadside attractions have been the focus of Alison Norlen鈥檚 work for some time, and some of that work is at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum this summer
Norlen鈥檚 Eccentricity display, which will be at the Estevan Art Gallery and Museum until Aug. 24, encapsulates a lot of the architectural follies that she鈥檚 found fascinating over her life.
鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely whimsical, sometimes non-functional, purposeless building,鈥� said Norlen on the evening of the grand opening Friday at the EAGM. 鈥淪o (it鈥檚 about) the eccentricities of the individual idea that is unique to themselves. There鈥檚 a big drawing here of a pineapple building and it is something that actually does exist somebody built at their castle in Scotland. So they turned a portion of their castle into a library that鈥檚 a pineapple building.鈥�
She goes back and forth between works that are two-dimensional and three-dimensional.
鈥淚鈥檝e built stuff to draw and I鈥檝e drawn stuff to build, so in this case it鈥檚 a lot of drawing stuff that I鈥檝e built,鈥� she said.
Norlen wanted to create a world that viewers can be drawn towards with many of the same themes.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit of a mishmash of places that maybe could exist, maybe haven鈥檛, maybe have been rectified or places that are either coming down, in construction, are being renovated or there鈥檚 scaffolding.鈥�
This particular work has taken two years to materialize, Norlen said, including the working Ferris wheel that has a lot of architectural follies on a wheel.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of Victorian but it also has remnants of medieval animals,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 little bit similar to the kinds of things you鈥檇 see on a Victorian carousel where they鈥檙e slightly terrifying at the same time.鈥�
Norlen said she likes to create these old, idyllic places and contextualize them in a new way that adds an unusual aspect.
The two dimensional pieces of art are very large and can be hypnotic in their size and attention to detail.
鈥淚 think this work, because it鈥檚 large scale, you鈥檙e sort of enveloped in it, which is the intention of hanging it so low,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou kind of walk into it like something panoramic. Even though it鈥檚 big work, there鈥檚 very small detail up close.鈥�
Amber Andersen, the director of the EAGM, said that she鈥檚 been trying to get Norlen鈥檚 work here for a few years.
鈥淚鈥檝e long admired (her) work and ten years ago, I鈥檇 never have guessed that I鈥檇 get to work with her,鈥� Andersen told the crowd at the opening.
Norlen is also at the Estevan Fair this year and was scheduled to do a live sculpture of an ice cream cone.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very special experience to see an artist make pieces on front of you,鈥� Andersen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 usually away in a studio and you don鈥檛 get to see that process happen鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a unique person who would actually say yes to this.鈥�
Norlen鈥檚 hometown mascot from Kenora, Ont. is Husky the Muskie, and she鈥檚 long appreciated the concept of roadside attractions and in particular old fairground concepts like roller coasters and Ferris Wheels.
鈥淣ow we see them as being fun but a little bit old fashioned,鈥� Norlen said. 鈥淒efinitely there鈥檚 an aspect of the past in this. So identifying one鈥檚 own history, and I think appreciating things that have gone or have changed. 鈥�
