Kelly Allen
The Moon Is Red, gouache on museum board, 20 x 26 inches, 2010
Wake Up, colored pencil on paper, 40 x 26 inches, 2010
Strange Hour, colored pencil on paper, 40 x 26 inches, 2010
Together Then, oil on panel, 10 x 8 inches, 2010
Sweet Like Harmony, gouache and graphite on paper, 26 x 20 inches, 2008
When You Get Home, gouache on museum board, 20 x 26 inches, 2010
She Doesn’t See, oil on panel, 16 x 13 inches, 2009
People And Flowers, gouache on paper, 8 x 10 inches, 2009
Artist Statement
Through the careful implementation of oil, acrylic, and gouache paints, graphite, and colored pencil on to paper, panel, or canvas, I often trick the viewer into thinking they are experiencing a collage. These dreamlike, trompe l’oeil paintings and drawings feature clusters of animals, insects, plants, fruits, molecular structures, and colorful graphic elements. They are worlds unto themselves; symbiotic accumulations inspired by the systems within nature, and the human experience of recognizing beauty and inventing meaning. I am fascinated by the natural world, and by the workings of the human mind. I enjoy contemplating the ways that individuals and entire cultures value the beauty and strength in nature, and how symbolism is born from this experience. I believe in universal consciousness, and my process allows me to feel as though I am tapping into something greater than my own mind. This process is composed of three stages, including intuitive, explorative planning, followed by the laborious, exacting execution of painting the composition, and finalized by research and contemplation of the image. Through the research of the individual symbolism of the components within each painting, I learn much about history, anthropology, and psychology. Weaving my own interpretations of the works based on my findings, I feel connected to our ancestors and rooted in this practice of feeling reverence for the earth and its creatures. I do not expect viewers to glean the interpretations I discover within my works, rather I welcome idiosyncratic musings and insights. As each painting is ripe with diverse imagery, it is only natural for every individual to have a unique experience with the work. I aim to replace the question “What does it mean?” with a more fitting one: “What can this mean?
Thank you so much Kris!