Rebecca Allen
artist, b. 1954.
Rebecca Allen is an internationally recognized artist inspired by the aesthetics of motion, the study of perception and behavior, and the potential of advanced technology. From the mid-1970s, Allen was a rare female artist working in the early stages of computer art and digital technology. Her pioneering artwork, which spans over four decades and takes the form of experimental video, large-scale performances, live simulations, and virtual and augmented reality art installations, addresses the future of gender, identity, nature, and what it means to be human as technology redefines our sense of reality.
With degrees from Rhode Island School of Design and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rebecca moves fluidly between her artist studio and research lab, using her research to inform her art. Allen was one of the first artists to utilize the computer as a tool to make art involving human motion simulation, AI/artificial life algorithms, and other generative techniques. Allen’s work is exhibited internationally and is part of the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art and the , New York; The , Paris; . Previous collaborators include , Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Peter Gabriel, Carter Burwell, Twyla Tharp, and .
