Art in Asheville - AlliGoodArt

I plan to blog about local art I find in Asheville, not just from white-walled exhibitions. A lot is going on here. Most businesses try to incorporate local art into their decor. Below are some pieces I've seen on display at Harvest Records, a local indie record shop near my place in West Asheville. It took me a while to figure out who the artist was. There weren't any attribution tags below the works, which was a bit frustrating. Maybe if I was a local, I'd already know who she was. I stumbled across her work by looking at other local profiles on Instagram. She goes by Alligoodart, and you can see more of her work on her Instagram feed. I will go out on a limb and assume her name is Alli Good.

What struck me was my immediate assumption that this work was created by a man. The grotesque stylization and bright, acidic colors are things I often associate with male artists. It brought to mind the works of Ryan Heshka, Travis Lampe, and Gary Basemen, all male artists. But then, I realized it also reminded me of Camilla Rose Garcia, a woman. The detail on the turtle necks, the painted patterns of strawberries and cherries, should have clued me into the work being created by a woman. It was a moment of self-reflection, a reminder to challenge our immediate assumptions.

In the end, though, it doesn't matter what the artist's gender is. It's just interesting to examine your immediate assumptions about anything.

Please take a moment to explore her Instagram feed. She updates it frequently with not just paintings but also tons of ink drawings. It's a celebration of 'gross art'-a reminder that our bodies are unique, with all their itchy and prickly quirks, making all sorts of funky fluids and noises. Girls, in particular, are often under pressure to deal with monthly 'weirdness' while expected to maintain a facade of its fragrant and soft spring meadows. It's a playful, yet powerful, commentary. I'm just a fan of art created by women that embraces and pokes fun at our bodies.