MirrorLab

Future Perfect, May 2022

Including a newspaper, raffle, and images by Justin D. Allen and Forrest Wasko.

Century College

The Smiling Museum, October 2019 - January 2020

The Smiling Museum is an ongoing collaborative project developed by Twin Cities-based artists Justin D. Allen and Naomi Crocker, and artworks by Meagan Marsh and Noah Doely which explores the cultural practice of smiling. The 2019 iteration, presented at Century College’s Niche Teaching Gallery, synthesizes elements from the seemingly disparate disciplines of art and dentistry. Of particular focus is the medium of photography, which overlaps with ‘the science of teeth’ in terms of materials, processes, and history. From photographic objects used in dentistry (e.g. X-rays) to works that highlight the alchemical aspects of each discipline, The Smiling Museum invites visitors to engage with the notion of smiling and contemplate questions such as:

What is the aesthetic of a smile?

Why is no one ever smiling in old photographs?

How are smiling norms related to gender?

Decay of teeth // decay of memory: Is it possible to preserve time?

How have smiles been viewed by society throughout history?

How can the disciplines of photography and dentistry inform the discourse of permanence/impermanence?

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA

Memorial (March/April 2016)

BFA Exhibition at the University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

“On June 29, 2013, I was involved in an accident that kept me in the hospital for nearly a month and a half. Due to the nature of the injury, I am unable to recall anything that happened during a period of more than three weeks after the incident. During this time, a dear friend gifted me an instant camera which I used to document my time in rehabilitation. Eventually, the long term functions of my memory began working again but I have never been able to recall any of those first weeks in the hospital. For me, the instant photographs act as artifacts; becoming physical memories of this time. Still, I am left to fill in the spaces between these photographs since I am not able to understand the specific context or timeline in which they were taken.

My unique experience with these photographs led me to investigate the relationship between objects and memories; in particular, how objects are used to substitute or supplement a memory. Although objects can help us recall memories, these very same objects slowly change the facts of the memory over time. On many occasions, I have been surprised when I discover that my memories are not a factual representation of an event. This often happens when I find a detail in a photograph or other object that does not match the memory of the event it represents. This led me to search for unique ways individuals have chosen to memorialize themselves and others with objects, find examples of how one chooses to glorify an act or event, and even test the limits of my own memory.”

WATERLOO CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Vault (January/June 2017)

Rotary-Lichty Gallery, Waterloo Center for the Arts, Waterloo, Iowa

Exhibition includes eleven archival images and an audio tour of The Vault by Justin D. Allen; accompanied by four pieces from the permanent collection thanks to the Dan Gable Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.

Thank you to Chawne Paige, Troy Peterson, and all the wrestlers from Impact Pro Wrestling.