Karen Allen

Karen Allen “ These mid-sized paintings and objects contain suggested narratives created in an abstract figurative style. While taking several poetry workshops during the Pandemic, I saw parallels between the writing process and art-making. The work I create is increasingly aware of this poetic sensibility. Play is a jumping-off point for what I make with paint, paper, fabric, and bits of ‘restoried’ material. Collaged materials function as a type of paint, which I integrate and layer with traditional paints. The reuse of materials is part of a ‘reparative’ attitude. I don’t compose a painting, rather, I construct it. Paintings unfold in an organic and self-revealing way, in a paradoxical process of thinking/unthinking.”

Allen’s BFA in painting was earned with an art competitive scholarship at Syracuse University. Coming to the NYC area afterward she worked in the creative departments of advertising agencies and publishing houses while continuing with her art practice. In 2019 she returned full-time to her artistic practice by designing a public 12 ft x 60 ft mural in Peekskill NY and completed two graphic books in a collaborative project with Carla Rae Johnson. Allen is a Bethany Arts Community artist fellow, having been awarded a residency in 2020. Her work is in private collections throughout the United States and Europe. She maintains her studio in Verplanck, NY.

http://www.karenallenartist.com/