Bury Art Gallery
Alison Erika Forde (b.1985) was born in Wigan, Greater Manchester, and has been practising art in and around Manchester since graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2008. Forde exhibits regularly in the UK and overseas and has recently shown at H-Project Space, Bangkok; Transition Gallery, London; The Usher Gallery, Lincoln; The John Rylands Library, Manchester; and London Art Fair (all 2014).
Forde’s narrative paintings on old and disused objects are inspired by fantasy and daydream. Through her work, she transforms previously unwanted objects into vessels for escapism. Despite their playful nature, the paintings often refer to states of anxiety or impending peril, with her ‘story-book’ style drawing on both subcultural and high art imagery to create unusual twists and misleading realities. One of the strengths of the Bury Art Museum collection is 19th-century narrative painting. The acquisition of let’s dance (2010) will help to develop and invigorate this area of the collection and make it more accessible to younger visitors.
Presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 2015