James Allen

Russo Lee Gallery is pleased to present Human / Nature by James Allen. This body of work contemplates the intersection of humanity, the natural world, and the chaos that surrounds us. Allen uses books as a medium to create sculptural works of art. His book excavations reveal new combinations of images, and his collage work makes use of the cutaway pages from the book excavations alongside other found images. Some of the works in this exhibition dwell on the human sphere, while others display the beauty and diversity of nature. Allen states that “we face the challenge of balancing our desire to dominate our surroundings with the need to maintain the balance that makes all life on earth possible.”

James Allen was born in 1977 in Illinois. He earned a BFA from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2000. Allen's artwork is included in Art Made From Books: Altered, Sculpted, Carved, Transformed published by Chronicle books. His work was exhibited at the Bellevue Arts Museum in The Book Borrowers: Contemporary Artists Transforming the Book in 2009. His Book Excavations can be found in Public collections at UCLA, Johns Hopkins University, Ringling College of Art and Design, University of Puget Sound, the University of Colorado, Boulder, Baylor University, and the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He is also exhibited across the country in New York, Seattle, Chicago, Milwaukee, Portland, Miami, and San Francisco.

Opening Reception Thursday, July 6, 5:00-7:00 p.m.

James Allen Artist Statement

Human / Nature

July 6 – 28, 2023

Press Release