Alyson Khan

"From an Unknown Horizon" Abstract Painting- Art Deco, mid century modern

2021

My work is about the suspension of reason or rationality as one might experience in ceremony, dance, or theatrics—an agreement to open one’s Self to transcendence, the realization of fantasy, the acceptance of the tragic, absurd or paradoxical. Often aided by costume, mask, or symbols, these acts occur on stage enabling us to become observers. Gaining this perspective can train us to detach from our cherished stories, and perhaps appreciate the many facets of even our most painful experiences. From this expanded state, we edge closer to a shared soulspeak, and in doing so we are changed, healed, and maybe more capable of compassion. ​ My paintings include hints of two-dimensional icons, stained glass windows, ceremonial objects, carnivalesque paraphernalia, dressmaker pattern pieces, and carefully designed altars. I see my work as functional and as such it may resemble a strange alchemical device, a crude vessel, a protective figure, a fortune teller, a shamanic robe, an asymmetrical mandala…all of which shepherd the process of transformation. ​ I am further inspired by the decadence of Art Deco; the hope and efficiency of Mid-Century aesthetics; the joining of texture, light and comfort in interior design; the riotous maximalism in haute couture; the rawness of tribal mark making; and the implied doorway to the unseen in esoteric symbology. All of these influences are cr