Artwork copyright Barbara Barnes Allen. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

He Saw the Years Fly By, 2000

Barbara Barnes Allen
American (born 1948)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

He Saw the Years Fly By is a collage by artist Barbara Barnes Allen. It is part of her body of work that combine house-like structures with text and images of historical figures. She copied the central figure from the 1930 painting 'American Gothic' by Grant Wood. Wood based his iconic painting on an American Gothic-style house located in Eldon, Iowa. His figures in the painting represent the people he imagined would live there.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

Seattle-based artist Barbara Barnes Allen creates intricate and architectural book artworks that meaningfully connect imagery and narrative.