Alison Flora is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Toulouse. She draws her inspiration from medieval art, alternative cultures and everything related to esotericism. The book Catharsis brings together 200 sketches by the artist, at the genesis of her work.

 

The graphic challenge was to organize these sketches through a suggested and multiple narration, logical but chaotic rather than by subject or technique, and without any text apart from the preface.

 

The result offers an enigmatic journey through space, time and the abundant cultural references of Alison’s sketches. Entering through the gates of a castle, escaping through the window of a dungeon, following a wild path and emerging through the door of a vault to plunge even deeper into underground worlds, the reader is caught in a mystical and cathartic quest. Between a book of shadows, a diary and You are the hero gamebooks, Catharsis is designed as an obscure object as suggested by its cover inspired by esoteric works published in the 1980s. Page after page, it reveals a magic that blurs boundaries between reality and fiction through games of contrasts, repetitions, transparency and mise en abyme ; an idea of ​​a book within a book highlighted by offset printing which allows a great fidelity to the original drawings.

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192 colored pages, 200 ex., A5 size
Offset printing + hot stamping cover by Art & Caractère

Produced with the support of the Région Occitanie, Aide à la Production 2023

Available in bookstores and to order on the artist's website

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