UNTOLD TALES OF UNTAMED TENSION: A Contemporary Collage Assembly

Graham Allen

Artist Statement:  I was chosen, you understand…. Chosen while working one early morning from the ground of my own backyard by a fleet of 7 unearthly, though vaguely familiar beasts, having clearly some sort of similar past with other local varmints and tales from beyond wherever they came. They chose me, for some reason, to share relics found nearby in their southern regional journeys, perhaps from many years ago, of what’s only assumed as a forgotten history with relatable tales of nearby lands and natives in a patchwork of artistic glamour and pseudo Pop-Appalachian imagery from the Bluegrass.

In their own tongue, they spoke of stumbling across the clearly dilapidated messegery, expressing chronicles of drama and perhaps love lost or never found, words and subtle signs of struggle to discover passions of an unforeseen nature as well as patterns of color and texture in types of tribes with subtle hierarchy, triumph and obsessions involving local favorite affinities and past times both from then and strangely now.

But who were ‘’they’, what was ‘it’  and when was ‘then’? Where did they come from? And why now? They had questions I could not answer. It was left to their own interpretation. Discouraged, the ‘lunar moonacks’ pilfered my only equally strange lowrider, though soon ditched it because of their inability to reach the pedals or handlebars and left the mysterious records for me to share with the masses in hopes of future viewers would leave their own bemusement.

These are those very records… ENJOY!

About the Artist:  Originally from Indianapolis, Graham Allen has been a professional graphic designer, artist, and muralist in Kentucky for over 25 years. A former graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, he is locally known for both his freelance design for several small and large businesses, both regional and national, as well as his artistic commissions and murals with his self-owned collaborative studio ‘SQUAREPEGS Studio and Design’.

Where Graham’s personal art often demonstrates of his appreciation for the Graphic Arts, utilizing clean lines, simple shapes and monochromatic silhouettes to express witty hybrid creatures and heartfelt scenarios, his paintings are often more extensive, using combinations of acrylic, wood, stencils, earth, markers and spray paint as well as both found references and original characters. His work is often a reflection of his passion for collage, distressed textures, typography and intuition as well as mid 80’s and 90’s pop/punk/skate/graffiti arts, culture and music. His thought provoking, self-made scenarios often include loose hints of romance, drama and suspense and while not necessarily providing a direct story or relatable narrative, preferably leaving ‘the full story’ to the viewer’s own fantasy.

Graham currently lives in Richmond, KY with his largest influences, his beautiful son, and loving partner. His art may be found on both Facebook and Instagram as well as throughout the tri-state area.