Phillip Allen - Coarse Grain
Pebbledash and popcorn ceiling may no longer be in vogue, but there’s something incredibly soothing about Phillip Allen’s polystyrene ball paintings. I want to be surrounded by them while I blast KC & the Sunshine Band and make snow angels in a shag pile carpet.
Maybe it’s the shapes, because it’s certainly not the colours evoking my 70s-style fantasies. The palette is summery, but somewhat muted. Neither a soft pastel nor a vibrant pop. There’s something neutral — dare I day dull? — about the tones, as if I’m looking through a dusty telescope lens at Nebulae swirls. They’re almost fluid, blending into the kinds of patterns made when you casually swim your hand through soapy bathwater.
You can’t spot anything definite or clear, which doesn’t stop my brain from trying. The one on the end might be purple sunflowers and a sunburst? It’s impossible to say. The most accurate description I can think of is that these look like fuzzy carpet covered in creamy cake batter, and they make me feel as if I’ve just licked the spoon.
I want more, but that’s not what I get in the smaller room next door. Three works in his ‘deepdrippings’ style have unmistakably clear shapes and swirls in deeper, bolder, mostly primary colours. (Images 7-10)
Hung in a small room with a low ceiling, these pop off the wall with intent. Surrounding me on three sides like muggers on a train. Heavy. Bold. Intentions clear. There’s nothing light about these works, with their thick backing boards and massive globs of oils. (How long must these take to dry?)
The works have been perfectly paired with the rooms, but with such a progression in style the only thing I was left wanting was a chance to compare them side by side.
At The approach (@approachgallery) until 06 Aug
Visit phillipallenartist.com or follow @philallen33 on Instagram for more info about the artist.