Phillip Allen was born in London in 1967. He studied fine art at Kingston University, London in 1987 and later attended the Royal College of Art, London in 1990. He lives and works in London.

Allen’s paintings are borne out of a continuous practice of sketching. Working on a small scale, on A5 paper and using felt pens, the sketches chart the inception and development of his abstract forms and arrangements. He then develops these ideas into distinctive paintings, executed predominantly in oil on board. To create an illusion of perspective, Allen often applies thick globules of paint to the borders of the work, creating a 3 dimensional frame to the imagery within. Often these antipasto borders defy the traditional confines of the painting and appear to either expand outside the picture frame or encroach into the picture with an overwhelming presence. Within the borders, Allen’s lucid paint strokes evoke motifs of hallucinatory and kaleidoscopic dream-scapes.

Phillip Allen has had solo shows at Zavier Hufkens, Brussels, 2007; Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes, England 2006; Kerlin Gallery, Dublin 2005; The Approach Gallery, London in 2008, 2004, 2002 and PS1 New York in 2003. Group shows include Abstract, Mitchell, Innes & Nash Gallery, New York 2007; the British Art Show 6 2005/06; Stay Positive at Marella Arte Contemporanea, Milan, Italy 2004; Post Flat - New Art from London Lock's Gallery, Philadelphia 2003; Another Shitty Day in Paradise, Bart Wells Institute, London and The Royal Academy, London 2002.

Made in Britain Contemporary Art from the British Council Collection 1980-2010,China federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing Corporation 2010. ISBN 978-7-5059-7014-4.

Glossary

  • Contemporary

    Existing or coming into being at the same period; of today or of the present. The term that designates art being made today.

  • Oil

    A medium in which ground pigments are mixed to produce a paste or liquid that can be applied to a surface by a brush or other tool; the most common oil used by artists is linseed, this can be thinned with turpentine spirit to produce a thinner and more fluid paint. The oil dries with a hard film, and the brightness of the colour is protected. Oil paints are usually opaque and traditionally used on canvas.

  • Painting

    Work of art made with paint on a surface. Often the surface, also called a support, is a tightly stretched piece of canvas, paper or a wooden panel. Painting involves a wide range of techniques and materials, along with the artist's intellectual concerns effecting the content of a work.