BIOGRAPHY
Ben Allanoff is an artist based in Joshua Tree, CA, working primarily with plant material, found objects, steel, and wire. His work ranges in size from tabletop to large scale installations for public parks, botanical gardens, and other indoor and outdoor spaces. Ben’s background includes fillmmaking and chairing an environmental non-profit. He grew up near Philadelphia, PA and graduated from Duke University.
ABOUT MY ART
Using a combination of figuration, abstraction, and calligraphic influences, I aim to express something elemental in my work, to make the invisible visible. Many of my works are responsive to wind, light, gravity, time, human interaction, and perspective, so that they are highly variable, and do not exist in a static state. I prefer to work with the simplest possible materials and tools, so that the maximum amount of energy is channeled directly into creative work. I am a dedicated proponent of democratic art-making and consumption, and have enjoyed collaborations with children, seniors, prison inmates, horticulturists, park rangers, Zen priests, and fire fighters, among others. Favorite themes include fertility and the interplay between the spiritual, psychological, and physical worlds. I am particularly interested in things that are phototropic, as well as things that float, swim, and fly. My work tends to be informed by a deep connection to nature, and a drive to give form to the intangible forces that animate our world. I approach art-making as a public service, with the aim of encouraging connections among people, between humans and the rest of nature, and between our conscious minds and other less frequently accessed corners of our consciousness. I am grateful for the influence and inspiration drawn from countless other artists, anonymous and famous, who have shared their work from pre-historic times through to the present.
C.V.
Site-specific Sculpture Installations
2022 “Woven Windows”
Sky’s the Limit Observatory and Nature Center, Twentynine Palms, CA
20’h x 50’w sculpture made from woven sticks
2022 “Wildlflowers”
Sculptural installation featured at Intersect Palm Springs art fair
2021 “Art Park: Furstwurld”
Furstwurld, Joshua Tree, CA
Created an outdoor sculpture park at a non-profit arts venue, featuring kinetic installations, large scale woven sculpture, and musical sculpture
2021 “Asterisk”
Large scale assemblage for Mojaveland art park. Twentynine Palms, CA.
2020 “Gassho 2”
Sky’s the Limit Astronomy and Nature Park, Twentynine Palms, CA
Second iteration of monumental sun dial and solar calendar installation
Steel, stone, sun, shadow
2020 “Couplet”
Art Queen Outdoor Art Gallery, Joshua Tree, CA
2019 “Temple Garden”
Mojave Desert Land Trust. Joshua Tree, CA.
Solo show featuring a large-scale collaborative installation woven from natural materials, as well as 50 sculptures and 20 canvases.
2018 “Gassho”
Morris Arboretum. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA
A monumental sun dial and solar calendar made from steel, limestone, sun, and shadow.
2018 “Woven Branches”
Descanso Gardens. La Canada Flintridge, CA
Large scale temporary installation made from brush pile finds and culled eucalyptus saplings
2018 “Perch”
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area/National Park Service. Agoura Hills, CA
Large scale sculpture made from woven Arundo donax, an invasive reed
2018 “Pick Up Sticks”
Adkins Arboretum. Ridgley, MD
Interactive installation made from branches and vines woven into a small birch allee
2017 “Mara Mandala”
Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Joshua Tree, CA
Large scale kinetic installation made from galvanized sheet metal
2017 “Pyramid”
Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Joshua Tree, CA
Architectural installation made from woven Arundo donax, an invasive reed.
2017 “Peace Factory”
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area/National Park Service. Agoura Hills, CA
Architectural installation made from eucalyptus rounds
2017 “Skyfish”
Joshua Tree Music Festival. Joshua Tree, CA
Large scale kinetic sculpture made of galvanized sheet metal
2016 “Estamos Aqui”
The Gardens at Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA
Large scale kinetic installation made of galvanized sheet metal
2016 “Flow”
Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. San Marino, CA
Temporary installation made from pumice and plant material
2016 “Cloud Chamber: Memories, Dreams, Reflections”
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area/National Park Service. Agoura Hills, CA
Kinetic sculpture made of galvanized sheet metal
2016 “Wood / Trees”
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area/ National Park Service. Agoura Hills, CA
Large scale installation made from scrap wood
2015 “Cradle of the Bodhisattva”
Zen Center of Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA
Permanent installation made from woven Arundo donax reeds
2015 “Nesting Song Part 2”
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Large scale kinetic sculpture made from dried plant material and steel
Galleries
Gary Gibson. Los Angeles, CA. Ongoing representation.
Asher Grey Gallery. Venice, CA. Ongoing representation.
Solo Shows
2022 Mesa College Art Gallery, San Diego, CA. Two person show with A.M. Stump, “Militarized Desert: Life and Death in the Mojave”
2018 29 Palms Art Gallery. Twentynine Palms, CA
Group Shows
2021 Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo (Juried)
2021 Mazamar Gallery. Pioneertown, CA.
2021 The Loft at Liz’s, West Hollywood, CA. Small group show.
2021 Gallery 62, Joshua Tree, CA Installation.
2021 Arcade Projects, online group show curated by Julie Rico
2020 Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA. Juried group show.
2020 Launch LA. Juried group show.
2020 Joshua Tree Art Gallery, group show.
2020 Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA. Juried group show.
2020 Asher Grey Gallery, Venice, CA. featured artist.
2019 Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo. Juried group show.
2019 Backspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Juried group show “Beyond Redemption”.
2019 Joshua Tree Art Gallery. Joshua Tree, CA
2019 Palms Spring Artists Council. Juried group show at the Palm Springs Art Museum
2018 TAG Gallery. West Hollywood, CA. Juried group show
2018 Joshua Tree Art Gallery. Joshua Tree, CA
2018 Palm Springs Arts Council. Juried group show at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
2018 Yucca Valley Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. Yucca Valley, CA
Three sculptures featured in the venue’s inaugural group show.
2017 Joshua Tree Art Gallery. Joshua Tree, CA
Programs
2022 “Woven Windows”
Lead artist for collaborative community art project funded by California Arts Council, produced by Mil-tree, a veterans service organization
2021 Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo
“Wire Play” participatory workshop and installation
2020 “Artist’s Tea”
Joshua Tree National Park, National Park Service
Talk on wire sculpture followed by a hands-on workshop
2020 “Wire Sculpture”
Taught online community class for Twentynine Palms Art Gallery
2019 “Gateless Gates”
Rancho La Puerta. Tecate, Mexico.
Collaborative site-specific installation using natural materials
2019 “Arc”
Mojave Desert Land Trust. Joshua Tree, CA.
Large scale collaborative installation made by weaving natural materials
2019 “The Weaving Project”
Descanso Gardens. La Canada Flintridge, CA
Large scale collaborative installation made by weaving Eucalyptus saplings and other plant material
Publication
March 2016 Tricycle – magazine and website
https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/the-cradle-of-the-bodhisattva/
Education
1982-1984 University of Pennsylvania
1984 Duke University B.A., cum laude
Other
Chair of environmental non-profit, the Topanga Creek Watershed Committee, from 2006-2015. Worked with elected officials, government agencies, businesses, and the public to minimize the negative impacts of human activity on an environmentally rich and sensitive ecosystem.
Ben Allanoff is an artist based in Joshua Tree, CA, working primarily with plant material, found objects, steel, and wire. His work ranges in size from tabletop to large scale installations for public parks, botanical gardens, and other indoor and outdoor spaces. Ben’s background includes fillmmaking and chairing an environmental non-profit. He grew up near Philadelphia, PA and graduated from Duke University.
ABOUT MY ART
Using a combination of figuration, abstraction, and calligraphic influences, I aim to express something elemental in my work, to make the invisible visible. Many of my works are responsive to wind, light, gravity, time, human interaction, and perspective, so that they are highly variable, and do not exist in a static state. I prefer to work with the simplest possible materials and tools, so that the maximum amount of energy is channeled directly into creative work. I am a dedicated proponent of democratic art-making and consumption, and have enjoyed collaborations with children, seniors, prison inmates, horticulturists, park rangers, Zen priests, and fire fighters, among others. Favorite themes include fertility and the interplay between the spiritual, psychological, and physical worlds. I am particularly interested in things that are phototropic, as well as things that float, swim, and fly. My work tends to be informed by a deep connection to nature, and a drive to give form to the intangible forces that animate our world. I approach art-making as a public service, with the aim of encouraging connections among people, between humans and the rest of nature, and between our conscious minds and other less frequently accessed corners of our consciousness. I am grateful for the influence and inspiration drawn from countless other artists, anonymous and famous, who have shared their work from pre-historic times through to the present.
C.V.
Site-specific Sculpture Installations
2022 “Woven Windows”
Sky’s the Limit Observatory and Nature Center, Twentynine Palms, CA
20’h x 50’w sculpture made from woven sticks
2022 “Wildlflowers”
Sculptural installation featured at Intersect Palm Springs art fair
2021 “Art Park: Furstwurld”
Furstwurld, Joshua Tree, CA
Created an outdoor sculpture park at a non-profit arts venue, featuring kinetic installations, large scale woven sculpture, and musical sculpture
2021 “Asterisk”
Large scale assemblage for Mojaveland art park. Twentynine Palms, CA.
2020 “Gassho 2”
Sky’s the Limit Astronomy and Nature Park, Twentynine Palms, CA
Second iteration of monumental sun dial and solar calendar installation
Steel, stone, sun, shadow
2020 “Couplet”
Art Queen Outdoor Art Gallery, Joshua Tree, CA
2019 “Temple Garden”
Mojave Desert Land Trust. Joshua Tree, CA.
Solo show featuring a large-scale collaborative installation woven from natural materials, as well as 50 sculptures and 20 canvases.
2018 “Gassho”
Morris Arboretum. University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, PA
A monumental sun dial and solar calendar made from steel, limestone, sun, and shadow.
2018 “Woven Branches”
Descanso Gardens. La Canada Flintridge, CA
Large scale temporary installation made from brush pile finds and culled eucalyptus saplings
2018 “Perch”
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area/National Park Service. Agoura Hills, CA
Large scale sculpture made from woven Arundo donax, an invasive reed
2018 “Pick Up Sticks”
Adkins Arboretum. Ridgley, MD
Interactive installation made from branches and vines woven into a small birch allee
2017 “Mara Mandala”
Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Joshua Tree, CA
Large scale kinetic installation made from galvanized sheet metal
2017 “Pyramid”
Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Joshua Tree, CA
Architectural installation made from woven Arundo donax, an invasive reed.
2017 “Peace Factory”
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area/National Park Service. Agoura Hills, CA
Architectural installation made from eucalyptus rounds
2017 “Skyfish”
Joshua Tree Music Festival. Joshua Tree, CA
Large scale kinetic sculpture made of galvanized sheet metal
2016 “Estamos Aqui”
The Gardens at Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA
Large scale kinetic installation made of galvanized sheet metal
2016 “Flow”
Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. San Marino, CA
Temporary installation made from pumice and plant material
2016 “Cloud Chamber: Memories, Dreams, Reflections”
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area/National Park Service. Agoura Hills, CA
Kinetic sculpture made of galvanized sheet metal
2016 “Wood / Trees”
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area/ National Park Service. Agoura Hills, CA
Large scale installation made from scrap wood
2015 “Cradle of the Bodhisattva”
Zen Center of Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA
Permanent installation made from woven Arundo donax reeds
2015 “Nesting Song Part 2”
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden
Large scale kinetic sculpture made from dried plant material and steel
Galleries
Gary Gibson. Los Angeles, CA. Ongoing representation.
Asher Grey Gallery. Venice, CA. Ongoing representation.
Solo Shows
2022 Mesa College Art Gallery, San Diego, CA. Two person show with A.M. Stump, “Militarized Desert: Life and Death in the Mojave”
2018 29 Palms Art Gallery. Twentynine Palms, CA
Group Shows
2021 Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo (Juried)
2021 Mazamar Gallery. Pioneertown, CA.
2021 The Loft at Liz’s, West Hollywood, CA. Small group show.
2021 Gallery 62, Joshua Tree, CA Installation.
2021 Arcade Projects, online group show curated by Julie Rico
2020 Blue Line Arts, Roseville, CA. Juried group show.
2020 Launch LA. Juried group show.
2020 Joshua Tree Art Gallery, group show.
2020 Palos Verdes Art Center, Palos Verdes, CA. Juried group show.
2020 Asher Grey Gallery, Venice, CA. featured artist.
2019 Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo. Juried group show.
2019 Backspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA. Juried group show “Beyond Redemption”.
2019 Joshua Tree Art Gallery. Joshua Tree, CA
2019 Palms Spring Artists Council. Juried group show at the Palm Springs Art Museum
2018 TAG Gallery. West Hollywood, CA. Juried group show
2018 Joshua Tree Art Gallery. Joshua Tree, CA
2018 Palm Springs Arts Council. Juried group show at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
2018 Yucca Valley Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. Yucca Valley, CA
Three sculptures featured in the venue’s inaugural group show.
2017 Joshua Tree Art Gallery. Joshua Tree, CA
Programs
2022 “Woven Windows”
Lead artist for collaborative community art project funded by California Arts Council, produced by Mil-tree, a veterans service organization
2021 Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo
“Wire Play” participatory workshop and installation
2020 “Artist’s Tea”
Joshua Tree National Park, National Park Service
Talk on wire sculpture followed by a hands-on workshop
2020 “Wire Sculpture”
Taught online community class for Twentynine Palms Art Gallery
2019 “Gateless Gates”
Rancho La Puerta. Tecate, Mexico.
Collaborative site-specific installation using natural materials
2019 “Arc”
Mojave Desert Land Trust. Joshua Tree, CA.
Large scale collaborative installation made by weaving natural materials
2019 “The Weaving Project”
Descanso Gardens. La Canada Flintridge, CA
Large scale collaborative installation made by weaving Eucalyptus saplings and other plant material
Publication
March 2016 Tricycle – magazine and website
https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/the-cradle-of-the-bodhisattva/
Education
1982-1984 University of Pennsylvania
1984 Duke University B.A., cum laude
Other
Chair of environmental non-profit, the Topanga Creek Watershed Committee, from 2006-2015. Worked with elected officials, government agencies, businesses, and the public to minimize the negative impacts of human activity on an environmentally rich and sensitive ecosystem.