Jen Harmon Allen is a sculptor and installation artist who creates elegant and ethereal female figurative works.

15 Bytes Article

Leap
The life and art of Jen Harmon Allen
by Laura Durham

When sculptor Jen Harmon Allen married in 2002, her domestic instincts kicked in as she embraced the idealistic fantasy (and expectation) of being a homemaker. It’s common for women artists to explore this lifestyle shift: an identity change manifests itself in their work as they delve into household and maternal subjects. But Harmon Allen’s work didn’t experience any development of this kind. In fact, her art experienced a hiatus.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that Harmon Allen began to produce again. She credits her husband for her drive to return to the studio. “He saw a need I had and recognized something in me that I didn’t” she says. “The maternal thing is a big part of me, but he knew I was happier when I was doing my artwork.” She did have a need to revisit that creative and academic part of herself, but the initial reason for her return to art was a practical one.

Almost four years ago, Harmon Allen’s husband suffered a stroke, and ever since he’s struggled to regain his health. Their family has suffered financially and Allen had to find a way to make money. In the past, her art had brought in more money than any other work she had done so Harmon Allen found herself in a place where she needed to create opportunities for her art.

Read the full article in the December 2009 edition of 15 Bytes.

Utah Artists Directory

Artist listings in our Utah Artists Directories are open to all visual artists who reside part-time or full-time in the state of Utah. The listings will remain on our site as long as the artist resides in the state. There is no annual fee for the artist listings. A one-time setup fee is required to create an artist listing. To learn how to create your listing click here.