Past Exhibits

Memes of African American Postmodernism

Lark Allen III

Lark Allen III is motivated to create African-inspired artifacts through his African-American upbringing in rural and urban America. His mixed-media artwork is created using found materials from nature, as well as discarded objects from his immediate environment. Backgrounds in painting, sculpture, and print media directly play a part in the combining and layering of materials prevalent in Allen’s work and have been influential in the creation and repurposing of materials. With an intuitive approach to making, Allen investigates his own existence within the African Diaspora through a series of paintings, prints, and sculptural masks.

The mask and other African-inspired artifacts reveal a sense of unresolve within modern contexts and serve as a vessel for comprehending environmental changes that affect Allen’s personal existence. He connects to the traditional meaning and purpose of African masks and artifacts in a spiritual, ceremonial, and performative context. Though not necessarily intended for performance, many of his artifacts possess the ability to be worn, allowing himself and others to connect with the “life force” of objects, materials, and processes that affect his spiritual journey in the Americas.

Lark Allen III is a mixed-media artist based in Saginaw, Michigan. He is a graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in print media in 2014. Born in Elberton, Georgia, he decided to pursue art as a career in his early 30s after enrolling in an introductory sculpture course at Georgia Perimeter College. After graduating from Perimeter College with an Associate of Arts degree, Allen completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Clark Atlanta University, where he exhibited his work through the Mid-South Sculpture Alliance, and was recognized throughout the southeastern United States. He is currently an adjunct art instructor at Saginaw Valley State University and Delta College in University Center, Michigan.

A reception will be held for “Memes of African American Postmodernism” at Studio 23/The Arts Center on Thursday, January 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. An artist talk with Lark Allen will take place at 5 p.m. Reception and artist talk are free and open to the public.