Artist talk with Abbi Allan

Artist Talk with Abbi Allan

By Kevin Pabst

Abbi Allan believes most people don’t think she looks like an artist, and said so right at the start of her talk. Maybe it’s because she isn’t completely an artist, but she’s part biologist as well. Her works are partially based on her research on frogs born with genetic defects; a subject that she says is very close to her.

As a child Allan sculpted little worlds out of clay. Her father is, and was, an art teacher and was the more lenient of Allan’s parents. Her grandmother took a form of estrogen that caused her ovaries to grow tumors, and her mother as well. She knows now that it’s a genetic defect, which is why she says the frogs are so close to her.

Allan was going to school for biology originally and became fascinated with indicator species; species of animal that are especially sensitive to environmental change. She recorded and documented frogs in a pond that had around a third of their offspring born with major birth defects; born with extra legs, only one leg, even two heads. Because she wasn’t able to voice her opinion that the way these animals were born was unfair, she drifted towards art.

There she discovered that art and biology overlap much more than she expected, specifically in the way the scientific process overlaps with how an artist creates their piece from an idea, displays it, and gathers input from their audience.

It wasn’t all fun and game for her, though. While in an art class, she asked the instructor if she could be five minutes late because it overlapped with a biology class. The instructor exploded at her, telling her that she needed to choose, right then and there, if she wanted to be dedicated to art or science. Instead of listening, she’s skirted the line between them ever since.

After she graduated she did well enough, got an agent who told her to quit all of her day jobs and work on art full time. For a while it worked out well, she toured all around the country bringing her work to various art galleries. Through a series of mishaps involving the September 11 attacks and a contractor lying to her she ended up jobless. It was thanks to her supportive parents that she was able to recover from this blow, her mother not trying to discourage her, only wishing her good luck.

She has bounced back and is being productive, selling small crafts for “pizza money” as she calls it and teaching children the basics of science. In her own words she has, “embraced her inner dork,” and advises people everywhere to do the same. She said she believes that whatever someone did as a child is what they should be doing for a career. As a child she sculpted small worlds, and as an adult she shows us the effect we have on our own world.

A photo of Allan's work on display at ARCC.

Allan has many pieces of work hanging in the hall on the second floor of Anoka-Ramsey Community College near the art wing and will be up through next week. This event was sponsored by the energy pool, the ARCC art department, and the art committee. The event was held at 2:00 p.m. on March 11, 2010 in the Riverview room.