The Moon Series is a collection of 9 artworks created during Guy Allen's time in isolation.
In March 2020, instead of flying out on a long-awaited trip of a lifetime to India and South-East Asia, Guy Allen settled into isolation back in his studio in Norfolk with his wire-haired dachshund Loaf for company. He started to look at the Moon.
As Guy explains, 'We had such amazingly clear spring skies, I became fascinated by the Moon. Away from the pressure of daily routine and commitments, I had time and space. It was so completely different, I suddenly had an opportunity to create a totally new piece of work. The Moon became my subject.'
Spending so much time on his own he started to take great solace from the simple fact that 'wherever we are in the world, we're all looking at the same Moon. It became this unifying force. It felt very comforting having this peaceful presence in our lives.'
'In uncertain times the Moon is something so familiar, and yet this extraordinary unknown. I had the chance to see it differently, to study it night after night. From behind the binoculars it is something totally new. Seeing it in such amazing detail was incredible, I really felt like I was learning. There are different phases, names, a new world of astronomy.
Coming out the other side of lockdown with this new collection of work, Guy was delighted to find that 'The Moon Series has brought together so many existing elements of my printmaking in a new and original way. Things I had been wanting to do for some time have suddenly became possible - using new subject-matter, new paper, new ink. From the full Moon, through to the waxing and the waning, I've been using familiar techniques in a totally different way. It has been a revelation.'
