Alison Erickson
b. 1980
Resides Waikari, North Canterbury
We came into their space. For the first time I saw these wild things as they are, not altered by fear or noise and movements of the human world. We were insignificant in the vastness of their place. When the birds were in the air, they were extraordinarily elegant, moving with the dynamic movement of the ocean like they were not separate at all, the ocean and the air and bird were like lovers, I thought. A very human thing to want to intrude and become part of that.
Elemental is a whimsical figment of an encounter with a wild free creature, inspired by Alison's journey to the Subantarctic Islands with Heritage Expeditions in 2020, and exhibited in the Southward exhibition. Alison is a prodominantly self-taught artist with works held in both public and private collections throughout Aotearoa.