Ally Mellor

“Someone once told me that by fearing things, you tend to invite them into your life.”

- Ally Mellor

Blind Faith

Ally Mellor’s work aims to create a disconcerting atmosphere, straddling the boundaries between the real and the uncanny. One prevailing influence is twilight: in this brief time before the onset of total darkness familiar objects can take on a darker and more sinister tone.
Her work encompasses sculpture, found objects and photography and often involves the recreation of various weather conditions. Her occasional use of atmospheric rural locations and animal forms links her work to ancient folklore that can be both romantic and unsettling.
On the surface Blind Faith is depicting a terrible disaster. Tiny helpless bodies are thrown around by a powerful tornado. After closer inspection, these people aren’t victims but tourists; enjoying the ride. Children frolic in rubber wings whilst their elders photograph the fun, apparently oblivious to the potential for disaster their situation holds. The clean lines and crystal clear water give the sculpture an unreal quality. Is this storm a metaphor for the darker side of human nature, that which is seduced by danger?

- Phil Rushworth