Maura Allen

Work and play, story and cinema, landscape and legends—they all layer together to shape our view of the American West. Real and romanticized, the West is the center of Maura Allen’s work.

Maura starts each piece on location, looking directly into the sun; ranches, rodeos, and vintage Main Street providing the perfect stage. She’s drawn to iconic silhouettes—her signature style centers on the use of strong graphic elements to tell big stories.

In her studio, working on wood, glass and steel, Maura often weaves “Old West” elements including vintage wallpaper designs, typography and other symbols with her modern day images. The result? A sense the past is always present. It’s not an issue of Old West versus new; instead, she’s interested in the confluence of heritage and history and how it informs how we live in and imagine the West today.

Maura grew up in Northern California around the corner from Stanford University where the historic Eadweard Muybridge stop-action images of a running horse were taken and now displayed. Seeing how a simple silhouette could convey so much stayed with her. She studied Latin/Classical Studies at Stanford and in Rome, learning how iconic figures, myth and moments shape and define a culture. Two decades ago, she began chronicling the American West with ranchers and wranglers as her trusted guides and realized many of the same cultural forces are at play.

Maura’s work is in museum, corporate and private collections in the West—and beyond. When not on the road, Prescott, AZ, and the Williamson Valley are home. Late in the day, she likes to watch the Santa Fe Railroad snake through the valley, just as it has for well over a century.