Allison Freeman
Allison Freeman is a Chicago based artist working across several mediums including two-dimensional and sculptural painting, printmaking, drawing, and art object creation. Originally a naturalistic acrylic portraitist, she moved toward depicting societal auras and abstracted or generalized human forms due to the isolation of the Coronavirus pandemic. This also encouraged her to experiment with uncommon materials and post-internet themes, which are focuses of her current practice. Freeman has had works shown in Chicago, Columbus, and Berlin, Germany while working on her BFA in Studio Art at DePaul University.
As an artist who works across a multitude of subjects and mediums, I find that tonal cohesion presents itself in bright, cartoonish sensibilities in my work. The aura of graphic art has a tendency to draw the audience toward its bold lines and garish color schemes. This is extremely important to me as a function of democratizing art and bringing to light the discomfort of societal ills, especially in regards to growing up with the internet as a woman in America.
It is my belief that the emergence of post internet artwork is the emergence of a new surrealism, as algorithms and artificial intelligence regurgitate more and more of our subconscious to us through screens. As a non-real space beyond our control, but catered to our conscious mind, experiencing the internet is not unlike experiencing our dreams.
To incorporate themes of memory, I try to bring motifs from the technology of my childhood into my work. This was a time before digital spaces were streamlined, when the internet was magic, and when surfing the web was close to lucid dreaming.
Imagery crafted entirely analog by my own hand about the internet speaks to the idea that while machines can create imitations of the aesthetics of humanity’s creative endeavors, I can create imitations of the aesthetics of the internet.
Exhibitions
2024, Capstone Exhibition, DePaul Museum of Art,
Chicago, IL (Upcoming)
2023, Pantomimen Im Urlaub, Backhaus Projects,
Berlin, Germany
2023, Employees Only, Povos Gallery, Chicago, IL
2022, SVC Festival, Sweet Void Cinema, Chicago IL
Curation
Filmography
2023, HumanitiesX, Invited Exhibition, Richardson Gallery, Chicago, IL
2023, Student Juried Exhibition, Richardson Gallery, Chicago, IL
2023, SubText, Invited Exhibition, The Art School at DePaul
University, Chicago, IL
2022, Inner Worlds, Invited Exhibition, The Art School at DePaul
University, Chicago, IL
2023 “Die Gedanken Sind Frei"
[Director]
2023 “To Lie in a Field and
Grow Old” Dir. Haydon Mayer [Art Director]
2023 “Dice ‘n’ Steal” Dir. Jason Wolfmiller [Storyboard Artist]
2023 “Dektol” Dir. Haydon Mayer [Hair and Makeup,
Storyboard Artist]
2023 “Voir Dire” Dir. Audrey Weber, Broken Radiator Productions
[Concept Art, Hair and Makeup]
2022 “No, I Wouldn’t Allow It” [Director]
