Frances Russell Allen

2012, madder root and handspun yarn, installed in Lacoste, France

The installation, The Process and Study of Madder,  was a collaboration between myself, Claire Barnhardt, and Susie Ashkenas.  During our time in the South of France, we spun over two miles of merino yarn on drop spindles.  The madder root was very important in our process, having been used for centuries in the region to achieve the variation of orange and red color.  Being temporary visitors in France, we spent our time recognizing differences between our cultures.  A main difference we chose to focus on was Provence’s emphasis on the organic interaction between the land and those who depend on it. We saw the way that this interaction has informed the Provencal culture and wanted to express our experience with this relationship, as it had a deep impact on our time here.  The yarn was installed for the Exposition Des Estudiants in the small village of Lacoste in the summer of 2012.

2013, handspun merino wool and madder root, installed in Savannah, GA for an exhibitions event for The Savannah College of Art and Design

2013, handspun merino wool and madder root, installed in Savannah, GA for an exhibitions event for The Savannah College of Art and Design

2013, Kozo paper, nail clippings, audio, headphones, plaster, and receipts, installed in a jail cell in Savannah, GA

When an individual comes into contact with another person, that individual will attempt to control or guide the impression that the person might make of him/her by changing his or her setting, appearance, or actions.  All participants in relationships are engaged in certain practices to avoid being embarrassed or embarrassing others.  There must be active intention to achieve honesty and transparency in a relationship.  To understand the intricacy of everyday ritual (or the seemingly mundane) means to understand true freedom in a relationship.  To you, I submit the everyday.  

2013, Kozo paper, nail clippings, audio, headphones, plaster, and receipts, installed in a jail cell in Savannah, GA

2013, Kozo paper, nail clippings, audio, headphones, plaster, and receipts, installed in a jail cell in Savannah, GA

2013, Kozo paper, nail clippings, audio, headphones, plaster, and receipts, installed in a jail cell in Savannah, GA

2013, Kozo paper, nail clippings, audio, headphones, plaster, and receipts, installed in a jail cell in Savannah, GA

2013, Kozo paper, nail clippings, audio, headphones, plaster, and receipts, installed in a jail cell in Savannah, GA

2013, Chatham County Public Heath Center, Savannah, GA, bamboo, LED lighting, acrylic, weights, and aircraft cable

2013, Chatham County Public Heath Center, Savannah, GA, bamboo, LED lighting, acrylic, weights, and aircraft cable

2013, Chatham County Public Heath Center, Savannah, GA, bamboo, LED lighting, acrylic, weights, and aircraft cable

2013, Chatham County Public Heath Center, Savannah, GA, bamboo, LED lighting, acrylic, weights, and aircraft cable

2013, metal armature, metal, and wire, Brooklyn, NY

Responsibilities included preparing work for her upcoming show, wiring of metal armature, fabricating dress patterns, and creating fabric out of metal pieces.  Additional responsibilities included being taught to manage the duties of an assistant including correspondence between museums, phone calls, and organization of schedule.

2013, wire and video footage, Brooklyn, NY

Responsibilities included transferring video footage into stills, designing a catalog for work, Circling the Center, and braiding wire using a traditional Victorian method of mourning. 

2013, Pei Ling Chan Gallery, Savannah, GA 

Responsibilities included install of Motus in the Pei Ling Chan Gallery in preparation of deFine Art.