Location: Canada
Back in the early 70’s my childhood was a time of happiness and imagination where anything was possible. I believe all children have this innate joy. They glow from the inside out. But, as we grow tensions rise and creativity dies.
For me the combination of Covid lockdowns, the negative impact upon my restaurant business, and turning 50 brought this perfect storm front and center. Stress was draining the life out of me.
So, I took up meditation.
Challenged to quiet my anxious mind, I gravitated towards guided meditations. I practiced every day morning and evening. I “worked” at meditation. Then one evening I was guided to picture my younger, smaller self and to remember a specific moment when I was truly happy. Struggling at first, I deliberately slowed my breath, and after a few beats, envisioned myself when I was all of four or five popping up on the side of a pool wearing my favourite red polka dot bathing suit over which I was sporting a frilly white skirt. On my arms I was rocking Disney floaties. Looking into that little girl's bucktoothed smiling face, laughter bubbled up unbidden, and struck by a simple truth I stammered out loud,
“We never had to take any of it seriously, did we?”
To which the little girl in my meditation grinned even broader and suddenly, surprised by my unexpected insight, I felt a thousand times lighter.
And so began my quest to come full circle.
Today, I create mobile art that utilizes wheels to represent the cycle of personal evolution, suspended and revolving mixed media acrylic painted figures that symbolize the interplay and shared experience we have within our environments, and a cast of characters that tell the story of diversity, finding where we fit, and of a life well lived in our ever-changing world.
Through my narrative kinetic sculptures I choose to celebrate that innocent wisdom, live a life of childlike joy, boundless imagination, and put on display my own poignant moments leading me to remember that... we never had to take any of it seriously, did we?
Artist Statement
Alison Galvan creates Dada inspired cheeky kinetic mobiles that highlight the humour in humanity.
Bicycle wheels symbolizing the cycles of life form the foundation from which figures as diverse in age as they are in race, sex and ethnicity, are suspended, twisting and swiveling, manipulated by the environment - an echo of our reality. The interplay of the figures and their specific placement speaks to the need to fit in, to conform, while simultaneously carving out our place. Her work is a thought-provoking commentary on our evolution in space and time and the judgements made and spewed both in the physical and digital universe that are so easily done at an anonymous distance. The mobile as a whole represents the elusive dance of ideas that flow from the ether through the artist and out into the physical realm and the recycled newspaper armature at each figure's core represents the secret stories we all hold.
Tall tales unto themselves, designed to catch you off guard, to make you laugh, ultimately, Alison Galvan's work is a study in her own personal growth and illumination of the silliness of our seriousness, poking fun at that which makes us all so very human.
Alison Galvan creates Dada inspired cheeky kinetic mobiles that highlight the humour in humanity.
Bicycle wheels symbolizing the cycles of life form the foundation from which figures as diverse in age as they are in race, sex and ethnicity, are suspended, twisting and swiveling, manipulated by the environment - an echo of our reality. The interplay of the figures and their specific placement speaks to the need to fit in, to conform, while simultaneously carving out our place. Her work is a thought-provoking commentary on our evolution in space and time and the judgements made and spewed both in the physical and digital universe that are so easily done at an anonymous distance. The mobile as a whole represents the elusive dance of ideas that flow from the ether through the artist and out into the physical realm and the recycled newspaper armature at each figure's core represents the secret stories we all hold.
Tall tales unto themselves, designed to catch you off guard, to make you laugh, ultimately, Alison Galvan's work is a study in her own personal growth and illumination of the silliness of our seriousness, poking fun at that which makes us all so very human.
3ft tall from the top of the hook to the bottom figure and 2.5ft in diameter at the widest point, mobile art Memories, is approx. 10lbs.
My mother always said, "Oh, if I was 18 again, the things I would do!"
I always found this kind of sad. What was she waiting for?
This piece is called Memories. Inspired by this observation of the way in which my mother chose to exist, my reaction to that, and the lesson learned.
For me I want to look back on my life with cherished thoughts of a life truly lived. I want joyous memories dancing through my conscious.
A hanging sculpture 3ft tall from the top of the hook to the bottom figure, and 2.5ft in diameter at the widest point, mobile art Perspective is approx. 10lbs.
I am originally from Vancouver, BC, Canada . It is a beautiful city, but it rains A LOT. One thing you learn quickly is if you wait for the rain to do anything outdoors, you will wait forever.
Perspective is a piece that speaks to not only the physical challenges that we encounter, but also to the mental & emotional mountains we must climb in our daily lives. You can let the rain darken your demeanor, or you choose to see the sun. Cliche perhaps, but sometimes we all need a little reminder.
Kinetic sculpture 4ft tall from the top of the hook to the bottom figure and 2ft in diameter at the widest point, mobile art Spicy is approx. 10lbs
I walked into an international grocery store and while my husband, the chef, got so excited and started dreaming of recipes, his art of choice, I on the other hand, was instantly enamoured by the breadth and range of the peppers. Such diversity! Spread before me was a perfect metaphor of the differences and similarities within a species, a study of our cultural tastes and mores, and a story just waiting to be told about peppers and our reactions to life with a little bit of zing.
4ft tall from the top of the hook to the bottom figure and 3.5ft in diameter at the widest point, Seniors Aquasize is approx. 15lbs
When my children were young they took swimming lessons at the local pool at the same time as a Senior's Aquasize class. I used to watch with fascination and wonder at this generation's confidence. All I could think was, "I want to be like them when I grow up!"
Senior's Aquasize is my hommage to the more mature set. I admire their joie de vie and only hope that as I am growing nearer to retirement that I, too, can age so wonderfully disgracefully!
Mobile Art, The Bunny Hill 8.5ft tall from the top of the hook to the bottom figure and 30” in diameter at the widest point,
The Bunny Hill weighs approx. 20-25lbs.
Mobile Art, The Bunny Hill 8.5ft tall from the top of the hook to the bottom figure and 30” in diameter at the widest point,
The Bunny Hill weighs approx. 20-25lbs.
“Memories”
“Perspective”
“Spicy”
“Senior's Aquasize”
“The Bunny Hill”
