Many of Jim Allen’s artworks that he made in the 1960s and 70s were later recreated several decades later and collected by national institutions.
Key installations include works that the viewer physically entered and that sometimes incorporated sections of enlarged typed text. These artworks explored subtle varieties of tactility and smell, as well as engaging with related works by other artists such as Hélio Oiticica and Lygia Clark. They include New Zealand Environment No.5 (c.1967), Small Worlds (1969), Tribute to Hone Tuwhare (1969), Arena (1970), and O-AR 1 (1975).
Solo performances by Allen at the Experimental Art Foundation in Adelaide include On Planting a Native (1976), News (1976), and Poetry for Chainsaws (1976). Group performances with Elam students include Body Articulation/Imprint (1974), Parangole Capes (1974), and Computer Dance (1974).
An example of his interest in video, using cut-up text rather than documenting a performance, is Uncertain Propositions (2011/2014).
