Commentary by Michael Milkovich October, 2009:

Allison Massari’s exhibition, Pyrotechnic Luminescence, is a segment of a group of collages which were created in the last two years. If observed in the context of her entire opus, which extends over the last twenty years or so, it is obvious that her continuing development, both technically and pictorially, characterize her own identifiable and distinctive artistic personality. While at the beginning of her artistic career Massari depicted a variety of subjects and techniques, the human figure became her main source of most varied possibilities.

The consequence of a tragic event in 1998 where Massari was trapped inside a burning car fundamentally redirected and transformed her outlook on life. This suffering turned into inspiration and elevated her individual tragedy to a most powerful force of humanism. “I love the idea of sharing myself and connecting to others through art” and “my hope is that my art will be a vehicle for others to feel inspired, comforted, seen and touched.”

The present exhibition is a “victorious song,” inspired by suffering and human drama. The direct experience of the suffering body so dramatically expressed in Massari’s sculptural group of 2004, Inspected by Curious Person #301, is held in stark contrast to her collages, which shine with optimism and love for life.

Massari selected the “female form to represent an intrinsic energy and intelligence that is present everywhere” to symbolize life, energy, delight, freedom and the heart’s desire. This idea is reinforced to the greatest extent in the purest poetry in using exuberant color.

As an artist of humanistic orientation, her work presents human hardship, suffering, hope and transformation as a dominant quality of her artistic expression.

This exhibition confirms that we are in the presence of an accomplished, self-confident and well-defined artist.

Michael Milkovich  Director Emeritus, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

Biography by Tracy Friesen:

Allison Massari’s powerful, intimate, and boldly imagined artwork beckons the viewer - sometimes playfully, sometimes intensely- always with a poignancy that deeply touches the heart. The vulnerability and honesty expressed in her self portraits, the energy and life that flow through her collages, and the unflinching strength and intelligence that can be found in all of her work, show Massari’s commitment to exposing herself in order to find the common thread that connects us as humans.

Primarily a painter, Massari uses “whatever is necessary” to bring her work to life - an interdisciplinary mixture of painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and collage. Largely known for her self-portraits and her portrayal of the female figure, Massari offers, “I’ve always been deeply interested in understanding people - and I’m fascinated with the human experience. The self-portrait is the most expeditious pathway for me to reach a vulnerability and an honesty to express myself spiritually, and to connect to universal emotions of the human condition.”

After receiving her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, Massari went on to receive an integrated masters degree by combining MFA programs from Parsons School of Design in painting, and the School of Visual Arts in illustration in New York City. Throughout the country, museum exhibitions and private art collectors have embraced Massari’s work. Her collage work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, FL. Her art has earned prestigious honors including awards and exhibits in the Tampa Museum of Art, St. Petersburg’s Museum of Fine Arts, and the National Arts Club Gallery of New York City. She has received two Artist-in-Residence Awards from Anderson Ranch Art Center, and was also named Helena Rubenstein Scholar. Commissioned paintings from numerous corporations include Lockheed Martin, US Airways, AAA Motor Club & General Mills.

In 1998, Massari nearly lost her life in a fiery car accident, which has greatly influenced her life and her work. She views the accident as a tremendous gift, allowing her to find her strength, take charge of her beliefs, and live life by her own rules. She arose from the experience - literally a phoenix from the flames.  

The same year of her accident, Massari founded an art camp for young teen burn survivors, "The Roger Pepper Adventure Camps" in Crested Butte, CO. Roger Pepper was the brave man who pulled Massari from her car, saving her life and risking his own.

Currently, Massari lives in Tiburon CA, where she is consistently creating artwork and living life with excitement, ferocity, and vigor. Her artwork and her life are a testimony to the opportunities that life gives us, if we are open to receive its gifts.

Tracy Friesen  Novato, CA