Guiding Light Painting

Allen is a multi-disciplinary artist currently focusing on physical painting. He spent 4 years studying in the University of Missouri system, but honed his skills painting large-scale theatrical scenery and murals, as well as traditional canvas works. His newest paintings work on many different levels and will reward viewers if they put in the effort. There is a great fascination with the relationship between dreams and memories and how they influence each other. They often change over time as certain details fade and are replaced by fabrications, while some aspects remain clear. Feelings or colors or moods are often more important than specifics. This is the space where these paintings reside--sometimes impressionistic or even abstract, they use vibrant colors to convey different moods and themes that walk the line between history and make-believe. The perceived subject is often an entry point to the work, and not exactly what it's about. The negative space holes in the paintings are fairly unique. They highlight the necessary relationship between hanging art and the wall behind. Artwork enhances the wall, but it doesn’t always acknowledge it. In these works, the art invites the wall to become a part of the festivities--casting shadows and adding colors and textures. The real star is the linework, which brings attention to itself by its being carved into the surface--separating it from the colored areas. It is a basic building block of so much beloved art. It brings together vast references such as Mucha, stained glass, graphic novels/comics, Japanese wood block prints, vintage postcards, Poloroids, Impressionism... There are, of course, many more layers to unpack, but it is urged for the viewer to draw their own conclusions and interpretations.