Alma Allen’s sculptural practice began with small-scale pieces, and he worked solely by hand for twenty years, often with salvaged materials—discarded bluestone curbs and abandoned furniture in New York, foraged wood and stone in the Mojave Desert. However, his process of designing and making remains largely the same. The pliable nature of clay allows him to sketch in three dimensions, and the introduction of technology encourages further experimentation. Sometimes Allen scans his model and then continues to amend it, allowing him to choose a “final” prototype that no longer physically exists. His approach remains direct even with the engagement of digital and robotic technologies; the instruments’ precision ensures a smooth movement from small- to large-scale.
Allen is a self-taught artist. His work is part of the permanent collection of the Palm Springs Art Museum, California, and has been featured in solo exhibitions in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Salt Lake City, and Tokyo.
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