Dorothy Alig

Dorothy Alig is a contemporary painter and printmaker based in Indianapolis, Indiana. She explores her subjects through the use of pattern, color, and distorted perspective. Her approach to patterned abstraction draws on a personal lexicon of marks inspired by places she has lived and traveled. In this exhibit, the work focuses on finding a balance between representational renderings of the landscape versus purely imagined, even illogical, depictions.

Alig’s imagery emerges from the combination of direct acrylic painting and screen printed patterns, which are applied in multiple layers on Japanese paper, canvas, or MDF board. This approach merges the fluidity of hand-painted gestures with the precision and repetition of screen printed marks, producing a distinctive interplay of forms. Through the use of many layers, Alig achieves a complex and rich synthesis of color and pattern that distinguishes the visual character of her work.

Through her work, Alig invites viewers to consider unexpected or irrational elements within otherwise familiar scenes, challenging perceptions of what is possible. By blending realistic and abstract components, she aims to expand the boundaries of interpretation and encourage a suspension of conventional reality.