Bob Allen: Show & Tell
March 7–30, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, March 7, 6–9pm
Artist’s Talk: Friday, March 21, 7pm
The Great Escape, mixed media on stretched canvas, 36 x 36 inches.
SHOW & TELL, is a new solo exhibition by collective member Bob Allen. Featuring 25 original mixed-media works, this collection offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s world—his ideas and memories, meditations and observations—woven together in a compelling visual narrative.
Allen’s work, created primarily on stretched canvas and birch panels, reflects a lifetime of experiences, blending the personal with the universal, the tragic with the comic. His richly detailed and immersive style incorporates figures, portraits, text, bold color, and intricate patterns, inviting viewers into his unique storytelling realm. With a career spanning Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and now Phoenix, Allen draws from a deep well of artistic exploration.
As a longtime member of Five15Arts and the collective’s current secretary, Allen has been a vital part of the Phoenix art scene. His last solo exhibition at Five15Arts, Alphabetical Order (2023), was met with enthusiasm, and SHOW & TELL promises to be equally engaging. Join us for the Third Friday reception, where Allen will give an artist’s talk, offering insights into his process and the stories behind his work.
Artist Statement
Welcome to my 2025 Solo Art Exhibit! I am presenting twenty-five mixed media paintings that cover a wide gamut of ideas, memories and observations on current events and what in the world is going on. Borderline reveals definitions that may be deceiving and Pin-Ultimate shows the delicacy of détente and world power. There are a number of portraits—of lifelong friends (H&R Bloq), a long-ago neighbor and a robust queen who’s all heart and attitude. Early studio portraits of my baby-self and brother (RONN, i.e.) are expanded and extended to the present day. I memorialize a local art professor, as well as our times spent in another decade, in another city. Return Reunion finds old friends anew. Balls Chgo explores controversy in the world of softball, inspired by a performance art piece I created to discuss size differences.
On display is an assemblage that either mourns or celebrates, depending on how you view it—just lift the black shroud to reveal what was ‘in storage’ since 2016, only to be re-presented for an encore performance.
Remember Who Danced The World honors some of the stellar members of the Bay Area’s multicultural community I had the privilege of working with back in the day. There’s also a nod to Salvador Dali, bad lawyers, things that get lost, and the werm turns. Thank you for coming to my show and supporting art in Phoenix. I hope you enjoy the Show & Tell and that your takeaway is something memorable.
BOB ALLEN
March 2025
Gallery Hours:
Fri 6–9pm
Sat & Sun 11am–2pm
Five15Arts@Chartreuse is a collective of 12 artists who present a regular calendar of solo and group shows in their gallery on Historic Grand Avenue.
Covid-19 safety measures: Face masks will be provided for those who want one. Though a mask is not required for gallery entry, we encourage visitors to wear a mask. If you are ill, stay home. We appreciate your patronage and we support keeping the community healthy.