Much has been written about American culture fifty years ago, the impassioned explosive spirit of post-World War II America that spawned an enlightened period in American art. Von Allen over the course of his career has established a deeply personal style in abstract form and symbolic themes, creating unusual textures in his works with dynamic fields of color and turbulent styles. Allen coined the phrase "Symphonic Improvisation" to describe his process of transforming lines and strokes into collections of figures that dissolve into movement. Working in several media, including oil and pastel on paper, board, and canvas, his paintings strive toward direct expression by focusing on the act of painting itself. Allen's works stands on the border between un-deliberate composition and free gesture. Over the course of his remarkable career, Von Allen has made an exceptional contribution to the body of abstract expressionist work worldwide, and ranks as one of our most important new masters of the genre. -RUTH KLIGMAN