Matrix: Contemporary Printmaking - Museum of Fine Arts - Florida ...

Fall 2009
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS EXHIBIT:
ARTISTS’ BIOGRAPHIES
Lynne Allen
Moccasin #2
2000
Lynne Allen
Knife Sheath
2006
Lynne Allen
Lynne Allen is well known
both for her traditional as well as
her three-dimensional prints. Her
inspiration comes from the history
of the women in her family as
members of the Standing Rock
Indian Reservation in South
Dakota. When the matriarchs in
her family were sent to
government boarding schools as
part of a plan to “educate the
Indian,” they became outsiders in
both the Native American and
white worlds. Lynne Allen’s work
reflects her “foot-in-both-worlds”
existence. Although Native
American, she appears to the
outside world as a white woman. A
central theme of her prints and
three-dimensional objects is the
misunderstanding between Native
and white Americans.
In Moccasin #2, Lynne Allen showcases the one-of-a-kind quality of her work;
layered etchings on handmade paper have been sewn together to form threedimensional
moccasins. The moccasin is an iconic image of Native American culture.
The use of such a recognizable image to convey a message is characteristic of her
work; Allen often features moccasins, knife sheaths, and stamp bags constructed of
original 19 th century land documents or
etchings on handmade paper.
Lynne Allen is the Director of
the School for Visual Arts at Boston
University as well as a professor of art.
Her work has been exhibited both
nationally and internationally and is a
part of the permanent collection of
museums throughout the world. With
over 100 exhibitions featuring her work
in the United States alone, Allen has
been recognized both through awards
and exhibitions as one of the
outstanding artists of her field.
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