Bowman Sculpture Gallery presents *Subconscious Playground*, a solo exhibition by artist Joanna Allen, from May 1 to May 30, 2025. The exhibition explores themes of psychology, identity, and the boundaries of consciousness through Allen’s sculptures. Featuring significant personal narratives alongside universal questions about normalcy, the showcase aims to provoke thought and challenge perceptions.
Bowman Sculpture Gallery is gearing up for the launch of Subconscious Playground, the first solo exhibition by British artist Joanna Allen. This event kicks off on May 1, 2025, and will run until May 30, 2025, at the gallery located at 6 Duke Street, St James’s, London. The exhibition aims to delve into human psychology, providing a different take on our subconscious that challenges the notion of what is considered normal.
In Subconscious Playground, Allen traverses the terrain between figuration and abstraction, culminating in thoroughly abstract works that reflect the fluid boundaries of our conscious and unconscious states. Through her sculptures, she investigates the push and pull between intellect and instinct, alongside how personal and inherited experiences contribute to our identities.
The exhibition showcases themes surrounding human psychology. Earlier works like Shadow and Horizon present striking imagery, such as a child’s helmet crafted from a skull and a bronze plane aligned with a floating head. Allen’s pieces speak to the intrinsic nature of our learned behaviours. Particularly, Shadow draws from her own childhood, portraying her feelings of insignificance among adults and within herself. The piece serves as a reminder of the imaginative refuge she sought during those formative years.
Other sculptures like Monument and Diminishing Capacity explore similar themes. They distort figures in a manner that suggests an ongoing generational imprint from our experiences. Allen’s work flits between symbolism and surrealism while engaging with wider themes of psychological introspection and personal narrative.
In her more abstract pieces like Inherent, Allen strips things back further, laying bare our psychological impressions in a raw, revealing manner. Throughout her pieces, she raises an intriguing query: “What is normal?” and hints at the idea that deviations from the norm might actually define it.
Allen’s unique sculptural style includes tell-tale motifs like warped forms, floating egg-like heads, and dissecting planes. Even in her abstracts, there’s a nod to figurative art that forces us to directly confront intricacies of human nature. The contrast between smooth, buoyant shapes and jagged, harsh elements highlights the internal duality we navigate. Her material choices—rustic bronze, bold inks, and layered paints—contribute to a dreamlike aesthetic that feels both ancient and ahead of its time.
One of Allen’s distinctive processes involves mindful meditation which helps her tap into the subconscious. During blindfolded drawing sessions, she creates what she terms psychomorphs—shapes that evoke personal or archetypal significance. These forms invite speculation about whether they mirror the mind like Rorschach tests or if they stem from deeper psychological marks. Her commitment to the subconscious aligns her work with the Surrealist tradition, known for probing human thought’s hidden layers.
The exhibition catalogue will feature a foreword by Dr. Jon Wood, an expert in modern and contemporary sculpture. Wood, who has curated exhibitions globally and penned works on notable sculptors, offers crucial insights into the interplay of psychology and artistry in Allen’s work.
Mica Bowman, Director of the gallery, commented, “We are living in a time where the surreal is no longer confined to art—it is woven into our daily experience, shaping the way we perceive and engage with the world. Joanna Allen takes this concept further… Her work does not just depict alternative perspectives; it forces us to question the layers of perception we take for granted.”
The upcoming exhibition *Subconscious Playground* by Joanna Allen at Bowman Sculpture Gallery is set to challenge perceptions of our subconscious. By merging personal experiences with broader themes of identity and human psychology, Allen’s work raises important questions about normalcy. The blending of abstract forms and relatable themes ensures that the exhibition is poised to resonate deeply with audiences and spark meaningful discussions.
Original Source: www.meer.com