Like many a Fabio-loving housewife, American photographer Thomas Allen adores the spicy –and often ridiculous -- covers of pulp romance and detective novels, especially those from the ‘40s and ‘50s. But instead of secretly fantasizing, Allen cuts out the vixens and Vikings that stoke his interest and creates immersive 3D dioramas using their 2D figurines.
Allen’s not above warping the original storylines to further his narratives; many of his creations involve two or more characters from different novels. There’s something great about seeing a scheming private investigator portrayed as a gay studmuffin, as in “Distraction”, or inserting a pink-feathered showgirl into a scene of children receiving a piano lesson, like Allen does in “Fancy”. In “Maneater”, a bored woman with bright red lips gazes listlessly out at us, in front of a sinewy, howling dog. In the background a man in a torn shirt takes a running start, while another, blurrier man looks down on all of them, omnisciently.
Seemingly familiar yet contextually confusing, Thomas Allen’s striking dioramas are a captivating ode to retro book design. We’d scour flea market book stalls with this artist any afternoon. See his work here.
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