Please note: All images used in this post are copyrighted by Denise Allen. All right reserved. Permission to use these images MUST be cleared through the artist.
It isn't too often that an exhibit that entices me so much comes to the little town of Canajoharie! This month we are all blessed with an exhibit of dolls, story quilts, paintings, and mixed media by the talented local artist
Denise Allen.
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| Second Floor space at The Brotherhood filled with artwork |
I first heard of Denise a few years ago from Chris. Denise shops our
Fort Plain Antiques store and buys up all sorts of vintage linens. A passion for linens is something I can appreciate. I like to use them and hoard them. I have my grandmothers hand crocheted work…I use tidbits in my work. Already I had respect for this woman and I was intrigued about what she was doing with all these forlorn linen pieces that I also adore. I couldn't wait to see how she used them and what she did with them.
I have heard many good things about Denise…. She is doing good things for our community! One such good deed is the donation of her time and effort on behalf of Tyson Fowler. (see the entire story
here) She sadly lost a son during the 911 catastrophe and has made a story quilt documenting the
experience. The proceeds from the sales of the 911 Prints will be donated to the Tyson Fowler Fund. I love how she has taken her grief full circle to help someone living....There's depth to this person and her ability to give to those in need through her work shows it.
She makes story quilts, these incredibly rich tapestries of brute honesty. She has exhibited in some pretty high profile places and I am so humbled. I have more seriously been wanting to catch up with her and meet her ever since I saw her work in person at The Brotherhood Antiques store where she has some things on display and for sale. And so it was with great excitement my pal Travis Button and I went down to
The Brotherhood in Canajoharie to see this exhibit!
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| Detail of Quilt, Above |
It's on the second floor of the building in this hauntingy beautiful open and raw space. The bones of this building are exposed and it provides a great foil for the most intricate and decorated work of Denise Allen. The front windows provide an almost primitive style light and atmosphere perfect for absorbing these intense pieces of artwork.
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1154 Dean Street, $650
This is my personal fave. Collage built on a wooden door. Swoon! |
I was very slow as I went through each piece trying to take in all the multitudes of materials that Denise has mastered and used in her work.
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| So many materials are used! |
There is no limit to the types of items that may appear in one of her compositions. A work with fabric for a base will have painted surfaces, embroidery, attached objects, handwriting and even cardboard fastened to it to help tell a tale.
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| Cool! Figures extending beyond the boundaries of the picture plane! |
Her talent is extraordinary in that these various items work together in harmony to tell the story so well, you forget to see the individual parts I was mesmerized and happy to be able to spend time up close and personal with these works in such a cool setting.
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The Negro Cooks, Recipe Collage Cookbook Cover, $380
I love this blue and white pottery made of fabric! It's really ingenious |
Cheers to Joe Fowler of The Brotherhood for supplying such a groovy space for such a great cultural thing for our community. (and especially for me! I love to see this in our town! Collage On!)
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| These dolls have such stature |
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| Isn't her attire so lovely?? |
These intense pieces of art are really involved and active. It's easy to get lost in her neighborhood and look to see who is there! Her ability to show expression on the faces of the dolls is also quite extraordinary.
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| Joe The Mechanic, $450 |
They have such feeling, and their elaborate costumes had me wondering which little tidbits she got from our store?
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| Church Gossip, $450 |
I am so glad Denise has shared her work in this exhibit! This type of web weaving isn't something you see often. This is some seriously good stuff. They call it folk art, but I just call it creative genius!
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| Mother Butler, NFS |
Denise's 911 prints will be for sale at the Tyson Fowler Fundraising Event on Sunday at Canajoharie High School. See you there!
