About Allen

ARTIST STATEMENT

In his “Law of the Instrument,” Abraham Maslow said, "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail." This law certainly applies to photographers like myself who shoot a wide range of subjects on the way to finding their artistic voice.

While much art on the market today seems aimed at driving social awareness or change on often narrow topics, my purpose is to provide a visual haven from the hyper-politicized, environment we live in today, a haven that delights via abstract color and form, mystique and surprise regarding the subject that invites viewer consideration. My primary focus is to explore the abstract in nature, as well as in discarded or obscure man-built objects, particularly those etched by the chemistry of our environment.

BIOGRAPHY

I received a Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma State University in Journalism/Advertising, which included studies in photography and a news photography internship. This led to a 35-year career in communications that included strategic work in graphic design studios, magazines, advertising agencies and corporate marketing departments. A long-time interest in impressionist, abstract expressionist and color field painting, along with the purchase of an Eliot Porter photo portfolio in 1980, fueled my interest in creating abstract and painterly photography, some of which is on view at a gallery I co-own in Old Town Albuquerque, NM.