Theodora Allen's Dreamlike Paintings at Blum & Poe Explore Cosmic Gardens and Occult Candle Series

Theodora Allen presented her exhibition 'Vigil' at Blum & Poe in Los Angeles from June 24 to August 19, 2017. The show featured two series: 'The Cosmic Garden' and 'The Candle', both created in 2017. Allen's oil paintings on linen depict ethereal scenes with wildflowers, psychotropic plants, and celestial bodies like full moons and Saturn, evoking a mystical, twilight atmosphere. Her work references spiritual and occult themes, drawing from California's New Age culture without specific citations to groups like the Rosicrucians or Theosophists. The paintings convey a sense of softness and introspection, with imagery of archways, stringless guitars, and candles framed by esoteric shapes. Allen's approach blends Romanticism with a contemporary, dreamlike aesthetic, described as both a space capsule and a time capsule. The exhibition was reviewed in the October 2017 issue of ArtReview, highlighting its narcotic and hypnotic qualities. Allen, based in Los Angeles, creates works that allude to metaphysical windows and cosmic vistas, inviting viewers into a perpetual evening of gentle, tender light.