Alison Davidson's Soar exhibition at the Assumption Gallery

8/29/2018 12:00:00 AM

Alison Davidson's rural landscapes feature a horizontal approach, accentuated by the intense blue of the vast sky, and studded with majestic wind turbines that brush delicate clouds. This juxtaposition of horizontal and vertical elements that is typical of the Tantramar marshes between the communities of Sackville and Amherst fascinates Alison Davidson, a Riverview resident. She was inspired by them when putting together her "Soar" exhibition, on view at the Assumption Gallery in September and October 2018.
 
"I am captivated by these rural landscapes, with their very flat terrain," she explains. "I am enamoured by the wind turbines and their rhythmic movements, and I love this juxtaposition of flat landscapes with vertical wind turbines that draw the perspective up towards the sky."
 
Vast blue skies are another feature favoured by the artist, who sometimes fills up to two thirds of the canvas with brilliant blues. "For example in one of my paintings, the sky might be very dark and foreboding, but you can also see a little bit of the sun, representing hope and a beautiful day ahead. It's kind of a metaphor for life, where you can have sunny days and cloudy days," she adds.
These contrasts feature in the acrylic paintings created by Alison Davidson, who has been fascinated by art of all media from a very young age. She studied Fine Arts at Mount Allison University in Sackville before earning a bachelor's and a master's degree in art history at Concordia University in Montreal. She held various positions at galleries in Montreal and in Halifax before returning to Riverview in 2001.
 
Alison Davidson enjoys devoting herself to her art on a part-time basis, and her exhibition at the Assumption Gallery is inspired by her trips through the marshes and her fascination with rural landscapes that feature elements such as wind turbines, barns and hay bales. By calling this exhibition Soar, she is inviting people to take flight and to be captivated by the rural landscapes of the Maritimes.
 
The Assumption Gallery exhibits contemporary, modern and popular artworks of historical and/or folkloric significance, in addition to sculptures and photographs by professional Canadian artists. A total of six exhibitions are presented every year, with each running for two months. The gallery is located at 770 Main Street on the ground floor of the Assumption Plaza building in Moncton.