studio visit with allison sommers.

i recently had the chance to visit artist allison sommers' studio whilst picking up her work for 'coalesce' at gallery 309 here in philly that opens this first friday from 6-9pm. aside from allison's incredible work, there are also news work from local artists matt r. phillips and sienna freeman (whose work is also a favorite.) 

i've been a long time of allison's work since i first saw it over at thinkspace quite a few years back and am impressed with her transformation. grotesque and wonderful, allison's work is imbued with an incredible amount of intelligence and subversive melancholy. if you're in philly, i hope you stop by tonight to see the show !

allison sommers does miniature monsters

(take a peek at the fascinating progression of this piece here.)

i've long been in awe of the incredible work of allison sommers. she's on my list of artists i'd donate a phantom limb to show at the toothless cat. her work is meticulously crafted and imaginative, filled with strange beasts and red nosed humans, often in states of devouring or hoarding. they are sometimes slightly sexually charged and with a touch of danger. most of the paintings are tiny tiny, which is amazing considering how much detail she can pack into her dreamscapes. i'm also interested in how much thought she has vested in the pieces, there is often a piece of literature attached to each one. i like to imagine her wearing a headband with a giant magnifying glass attached to it, looking like a mad scientist when she's painting.

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