In the third installment of the Greenhead series the focus remains on the enigmatic interactions between the figures/characters/creatures that Ali has created. With their large green heads and attenuated brown bodies, the figures move about anxiously in a spare blue world. The Greenheads in this series include prisoners, amputees, ecclesiastic figures, and police, among others. There are strong currents of violence, shame, betrayal, humiliation-- as if the artist has captured a moment that has been covered up and hidden, a moment that needs to be seen. This feeling of secrecy creates a heightened sense of intrigue making the viewer question the relationships between the figures. This questioning forces us to recognize what is familiar and accept the possibility of the unfamiliar.
In the back gallery there are small paintings of single figures. These bring our attention to the individual experience of the larger scenes, draw us into the isolation and intimacy of her subjects who seem to be at risk. The work depicts both a fight and a surrender, an acceptance and a resistance-- making a clear statement that one feeling may not exist without the other.