Los Angeles-based figurative oil painter Ally Rae Peeples centers her work around the various ways people distort reality. Drawing inspiration from the byproducts of tourism culture that surrounded her as a child in her hometown of Orlando, Florida, Ally’s unique, caricature-like style has earned her exhibitions worldwide. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in drawing, she began experimenting with oil paint and held her first solo exhibition at Lowell Ryan Projects in 2023, titled Crowd Surfing.
Your style is inherently caricature-esque. What drew you to use such exaggerated distortion in your work?
I grew up in Orlando where tourism is very prominent. I wanted my work to resemble the caricature art that is an integral part of amusement park culture both visually and conceptually in the way that I use my art to make exaggerations of reality. I have always found the desire to exaggerate whether it be in passing of information, memory recall, or performative storytelling quite curious. My style also was born out of being a raging perfectionist. I rely on the distortions to manage my expectations of what the image is “supposed” to look like.
How do you select subject imagery for your paintings? Do you intentionally look for compositions that lend themselves to digital manipulation?
I am constantly compiling images. Whenever I come across anything I like I save it. I do not think too much about the digital manipulation, I find that if I have a strong enough affinity for a picture I can find a way to manipulate it to my liking. I have a lot of respect for the reference photos I use and like to make sure that I am not reproducing them but creating something new all together.
Your subject choices range from corporate attire to everyday wear to bathing suits, is there a reason for this?
I think a lot about uniforms. I find it funny that as humans we have deemed clothing appropriate or inappropriate for specific occasions. Why can’t I paint in a full three piece suit? Why can’t I go to an office job covered in paint? Do uniforms have to do with function or is it a way to distinguish classes? I’m not entirely sure.
Caricature has a long history in political satire, especially in newspapers alongside serious issues. Do you have a similar intent, or does it serve a different purpose in your work?
I’m not against my work serving this purpose though politics aren’t something I have dived too deep into yet in my work. I did however airbrush all the presidents onto a toilet paper roll recently.
Ally Rae Peeples, Oil on canvas
An article by Gallery Rounds compares your work to Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Street, Dresden, 1908. Whether or not you see a connection to this specific piece, what draws you to painting crowds?
I like exploring how our individual psychologies affect how we share space whether it be physical or digital. I think the distortions also convey this in the way one figure pushes into the next.
Your works embody how it isolating and difficult it can feel to connect with people in such a technologically dominant age. Do you see yourself exploring themes of overcoming this disconnection in the future?
To be entirely honest I try not to think too far ahead with my work. I let ideas flow through me as they come to me but I would imagine as I personally grapple with overcoming the difficulties of connection in a digital age it may reflect in my work.
Do the themes of Paradise Lost resonate with you?
The aspect that resonated with me the most from Paradise Lost was how vastly different our perspectives can be. What’s heaven for one can be hell for another. I surprised myself with how sympathetic I felt for the devil when reading it. I feel like we should all aim to understand what experiences could lead someone to having a different set of values and beliefs. This rings especially true in the polarized political climate we are currently existing in.
Do you have any projects on the horizon that you would like to share?
I have a solo show with Moosey Gallery in March of 2026. I am also working on conceptualizing and pitching a show to galleries in Los Angeles around a painting I am currently working on.
