The human form has directed Alan for many decades, from his initial focus as a shoe designer for a Massachusetts footwear manufacturer, to a student of mostly classical figure sculpture at the Massachusetts College of Art (BFA). He then moved to more abstracted forms, graduating with an MFA from Alfred University.  Most recently Alan has tapped into the reservoir of professional experience that had engaged him for nearly two decades: footwear design. He works with lead for its malleability, its archetypal and psychological resonance, its danger, weight, beauty, its protective qualities, its recyclability, its permanence.