Isn't It Good To Be Lost In The Wood

Alan Ibell's paintings deal with the search for absolutes in an absurd world, forming narratives that explore the dialogue between religion, spirituality and superstition, and the bearing these ideas have in contemporary society. His solitary figures, related only by their faceless anonymity (and occasional amputation), are situated within sparse, empty settings alluding to a dream space that is beholden only to the realm of human thought. Their ongoing search is met with silence and the hopelessness of their actions is amplified by the harsh emptiness of the surroundings. The stillness, and static nature of the painted image locks these characters into a world where their action defines them. This stillness serves to thwart any sense of anticipation that lies within the narrative. The figure in The Broken Altar (2011) is forever waiting for acceptance of his offering. The Rotting Offering (2011) will forever rot.

BIOGRAPHY

Alan Ibell is a painter and musician based in Melbourne, Australia. Alan was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. He studied Painting at the Otago Polytechnic School of Art in Dunedin, New Zealand, where he was based for several years before moving to Melbourne in 2011.