ALLEN HARRISON
Harrison’s artistic practice is ever-evolving and has encompassed several distinct bodies of work. Harrison begins this particular process by tracing Thangka drawings on acetate, cutting up the designs, and collaging them on his canvas. Harrison’s interest in the Tibetan Thangka style is based solely on aesthetics as opposed to their traditional religious intent. Harrison honors these drawings by using the lines as partial guides throughout his painting, eventually obscuring the figures, allowing him to transcend their predetermined role or purpose. The Thangka imagery is never completely lost; it remains a swirling blueprint beneath the cloudscapes. Harrison regularly takes photographs of the sky from the roof of his studio and these images are what dictates the colors that Harrison uses as he reinterprets the sky. Allen sections the piece into smaller compositions helping him abstract from both the Thangka style and the landscape photographs. Harrison continues to layer onto his canvas building up certain areas and adding dimension.
