Sandra Allen
Sandra Allen, Schism, 2004
pencil on paper, 72” x 42”
Gift of the Artist 2006.40, DeCordova Museum Collection
Sandra Allen’s drawings of trees are so skillfully rendered that they at first appear to be photographs, particularly when seen at a distance or in reproduction. But once one approaches them, the marks of the pencil are easily seen, and the evidence of the artist’s virtuosic hand is clear. Allen created the thirty-seven foot tall, scroll-like drawing specifically for the forty foot wall at the bottom of DeCordova’s Grand Staircase. Installed in this location, the drawing of the trunk of a palm tree can be seen in its entirety from the top of the staircase and in close detail from the bottom. It can also be seen in juxtaposition to the actual trees in the Sculpture Park. Working from photographs that she takes of trees in her neighborhood as well as on her travels, Allen evokes the three-dimensionality of the tree form and the intricacies of its surface and texture by using contrasting light highlights and dark shaded areas, as well as a multiplicity of drawn marks such as squiggles, feathery lines, and cross-hatching. Her decision to restrict her palette to black and white reinforces the iconic form of the tree as a symbol of life, growth, and resilience. — Rachel Rosenfield Lafo, Director of Curatorial Affairs
“Drawing is both a noun and a verb. The action registers the process of the making and the image becomes an object of contemplation. Drawing is also one of our most basic primitive instincts and I consider it the closest medium to thought.
The structure, form and surface of a tree record the strength, fragility, growth and endurance of its life over time. I see a correlation between the development of the human psyche and personality and the visual narrative that is evident on the surface and form of a tree.
Using drawing as my medium and the tree as my subject has freed me to explore and experiment with the subtleties and possibilities of their visual meaning and metaphor. With each piece I try to push myself to a place that I have never gone before.” — Sandra Allen
Sandra Allen will present an Artist Talk on Saturday, May 19 at 3 pm.
