It’s Mason Allen’s senior year at Denison, and his studio bustles with signs of an artistic work in progress. The space brims with carved wooden signs, scattered tools, plywood, and even a digital projector. Every corner suggests an artist deep within the creative process.
Visual arts BFA majors spend their final year developing artistic projects in dedicated studios on the fourth floor of the Bryant Arts Center. Majors are assigned their own studios to fully explore, experiment, and create a body of work. The culmination of their four years is presented in a public showcase at the end of senior semester.
For his showcase, Allen initially explored bringing elements of hostile architecture, a form of design intended to control public spaces, into a household setting. Yet as he worked, Allen realized his interest was in making art relating to domestic life.
He was amused and inspired by inspirational signs often found in homes and began crafting hand-carved signs that parody and critically examine common domestic clichés. The exhibition’s title reflects one of Allen’s hand-carved signs, Live, Laugh, Love, No Loitering!
Allen’s project invites viewers to find humor in everyday household decor while prompting them to reconsider and find deeper meaning in the everyday objects embedded with his voice. Allen spends hours on each piece, learning new skills while meticulously designing and carving them.
“It’s overwhelming, but also very, very exciting,” he says.
When he first arrived at Denison, Allen thought he’d be working primarily with photography. A woodworking class at the end of his first year changed his direction.
“I really, really loved it, and needed to do more,” he says. Allen subsequently worked as a TA at the woodshop, further developing his woodworking skills.
Outside the classroom, Allen applies his craft in the theater scene shop, helping to design elaborate sets for productions at the Eisner Center. He also serves as the technical director for the Denison Independent Theater Association, helping to bring student productions to life.
Reflecting on his upcoming graduation, Allen expresses fondness for all that he’ll be leaving behind.
“I like having the space to work and make things in a space that is my own, and is surrounded by everyone else who does the same thing,” he says.
He plans to continue nurturing his creative passions. He hopes to pursue professional opportunities in theatre, keep alight the inspiration he found at Denison, and build on the knowledge he’s cultivated here.
“It’s been so awesome,” he says. “I love this place.”
