We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maura Allen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maura below.

Hi Maura , thanks for joining us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

When I first starting showing and selling my work 20+ years ago, I was an “outlier” in the Western/American West art world. I worked in acrylic; the classics were in oil. I crossed genres — photography, printmaking, painting (and now glass); this “boundary busting” approach was not understood or appreciated. Regardless, this is how I saw (and still see) the world. In bold silhouette and graphic forms. Modern west, or modern mountain as many now refer to contemporary western work, was still a way off from having an audience. I entered many (many!) shows and while I had a few nibbles, nothing really took hold. I was tempted to move toward the middle, to create work with a look that galleries and shows were celebrating (and selling!). But I knew that just wasn’t me; instead I doubled down and made more work. I made bigger work. I developed a strong narrative and shared my process and way of thinking with collectors, galleries, in the press and online. A few early champions — select galleries and museums — provided welcomed support. I leveraged that support to expand my reach. I leaned into the galleries that showed work that was bold and broke traditional boundaries and represented artists I admired. One museum show — Cowgirl Up! at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum — was a big turning point. The show and collectors provided momentum both in the market — and in myself. That was 13+ years ago. I’ve been juried into that annual museum show and sale every year since; last year, I was named to the museum’s board of trustees. Reflecting back, I’m glad I had the fortitude to stay the course, to remain true to the way I saw the West.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been a black and white photographer for 40+ years — and began focusing my eye and camera on chronicling the American West 25 years ago.

I use my photographs as a starting point for mixed media paintings and sculptural (glass) pieces that I show and sell in galleries and through art consultants and designers.

On location at rodeos and ranches throughout the West, I look for strong, iconic silhouettes, which have become the core of my signature style. In my studio in Williamson Valley AZ, I weave “Old West” elements (vintage wall paper designs, typography and other symbols) together with modern day imagery to create a feeling the past is always present. Native Americans, Lewis and Clark, Remington, Russell and dime store magazines were among the first storytellers to shape our view of the American West. Song, photography and film were soon added to the mix—and mythology. Whether real or romanticized, stories of the American West are at the center of my work.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

For me, time in the studio is a solo experience. To keep me company, I rely heavily on podcasts and books on tape, as well as music. I learned early on, what I listened to “informed” my day… my mood and my work. When I created a new body of work focused on Lewis and Clark and their expedition West, I listened to their journals as I painted what they say and documented in my own style. The work–Corps of Discovery, named after their trek West centuries ago–was featured as a solo museum show. The journals provided me with a link to the past–to a teaching element that museum’s often seek when creating an exhibition. Other sources, from podcasts on creativity and photography, provide ongoing inspiration and company. Stories of the West–from authors like Wallace Stegner, Willa Cather, Edward Abbey and more–transport me to the very world I’m exploring in my work.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

A few years back, I was on a panel with a museum trustee/major art collector when he shared his view of an artist — “artists are brave and tenacious… they have no clear path paved for them… they have to bushwhack and navigate on their own.” Other professions, he shared, like doctors, lawyers, and teachers, often have a clear(ish) path to follow, a framework of schooling and degrees to pursue. I had never considered that alignment of artist/fearless before. I was a Classical Studies/Latin major at Stanford… the notion that I would become a visual artist focused on stories of the American West was not a direct leap. But a deep reflection on what I loved and how I loved to spend my time led me to my current work. The camera is my tool for telling stories. It was 40 years ago and remains that way today. But I also realized early on, I wanted photography to be just part of the mix — I wanted to also create original, unique work that involved other materials. I wanted my work tied to history, but relevant to today. Studying others who had done the same, who had crossed traditional art genres to make original work (the likes of Warhol, Rauschenberg, Billy Schenck) provided models for me to examine and learn from. There’s still no clear path forward, especially as new elements like NFTs, online galleries, and more pervade. That, of course, is the beauty of adventure — finding my own way, bushwalking and exploring what’s possible — and what’s next.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MauraAllen.com. and www.MauraAllenPhotography.com
• Instagram: @monumentalwest and @mauraallenphotography
• Facebook: mauraallen.inthewest

Image Credits
Maura Allen