The Model is delighted to present an exhibition of fresh and exciting new works by Sligo-born painter, Alison Pilkington. Pilkington’s practice taps into an inner world of personal experiences to conjure up disquieting vistas where all is not entirely at ease. Humour and the absurd abound in strange unsettling landscapes, where bizarre figures are a recurring motif. Her work frequently draws on a variety of eclectic influences from ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture - from the classical painting of the 17th century western traditions to the writing of Stephen King, the humourist Ivor Cutler, and the stories of James Joyce.

Through a series of interconnecting paintings, drawings and artists books Pilkington has produced a show at The Model that explores her connections to Sligo. A series of recurring characters inhabit surreal landscapes that evoke lakeshores, seashores and distant mountain ranges. As is particular to Pilkington’s practice, she draws on eclectic references from the poetry of WB Yeats to the paintings of El Greco and the cinematic imagery of Ridley Scott and Andrei Tarkovsky; all of which collide and merge in a richly allegorical body of work.

Alison Pilkington Book Launch - Saturday, 9 October, 5pm