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Bottles, birds’ nests & boxes

A silk cocoon hangs from a rusted wire; birds’ eggs sit in glass bottles; a bird’s nest rests in an iron muzzle. The juxtaposition of materials is a key element in the artwork of Atlanta-based artist Allison McElroy. Through contrasts she creates visual poetry – the harsh becomes soft, and the two begin a dance that enhances each in a powerful way.

McElroy graduated from the Atlanta College of Art with a major in painting and a minor in sculpture. The two have now become one for McElroy who uses the two opposing mediums to create compositions that are both thought-provoking and aesthetically pleasing. Contrast finds its way into her art not only through the media she uses, but through subject matter as well. Like the delicate nest in the cold, iron muzzle or the silk cocoon suspended by a rusted wire, throughout her work the man-made coincides with the natural sometimes becoming difficult to separate.

The basics of nature, often overlooked by others, become the boldest elements of McElroy’s work. The use of texture also plays a main role in her work. Layer upon layer, the pieces build to create a scarred and withered background. McElroy believes that by her manipulation of the texture, the viewer is able to sense the artist’s presence.

To experience that presence, McElroy says, one must understand that the artist has created more than just an image, but also a feeling. Whether the feelings are of frustration, anger, loss, amusement or excitement, McElroy’s art has become a journal expressing her innermost thoughts, a process that is not easy.

Inspiration comes to McElroy in several ways. Whether it is the four-leaf clover she finds on an afternoon hike, an empty bird’s nest, a century-old baby dress, or a simple glass bottle, they all serve as inspiration. These materials are so strong, she says, “It’s as if they are screaming at me to use them.”

Living in Atlanta during the week, McElroy travels to her studio in Heflin, Alabama, on most weekends. Her studio, a building she helped her father and grandfather build, sits on a hill above her family’s country home and serves as her refuge from the city. “The city has a nice pulse,” she says, “but I’ve got to remove myself from it in order to gather my thoughts.”

Short Takes
Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles
July/August 2000
Amy Cole