One of the most compelling art exhibitions that this writer has ever seen is by internationally acclaimed artist Steve R. Allen which is currently in the Jack Sinclair Gallery at the ArtsXchange in East Point. The exhibition titled: “Ancestral Origins: The Fractal Vision of Steve. R. Allen ” runs until March 31.
According to Allen, each painting in this Afro-Futurism series took five to six months to complete. And upon close examination of the paintings the evidence is there to back up his claim. You see layers on top of layers of work. You would need to spend at least 30 minutes examining each painting in order to capture its full essence.
Fractal? What are we talking about here?
Scholar Tamara Holmes Brothers, PhD writes, “The ancient wisdom of fractals derives from Africa as it was a commonly used technology by people and civilizations throughout history. The knowledge and understanding of fractals and Afrofuturism provide pathways that unlock the doors to successfully administering his designs. Allen’s vision exists in combining history and fantasy to explore African American experiences aimed to connect those from the Black diaspora with their historically excluded African ancestry.”
Allen’s work hangs in a number of world capitals and in many prestigious collections from Athens, Greece to Rio de Janeiro to Beijing to the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. Four of his original paintings have been acquired by The National Museum of African American HIstory and Culture. His work has appeared at eight Olympic Games.
I caught up with Allen for a brief interview at ArtsXchange. This is an edited version of our conversation.
AtlantaVoice: Steve let’s talk about your calling. You had a calling while working in corporate America (Xerox) and you were doing well – to go into art. How long had you heard…
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