Richard Allen

Richard Allen (8 February 1933 – 9 February 1999) was a British Minimalist, Abstract, Systems, Fundamental, and Geometric painter and printmaker. Allen worked prolifically from 1960 until his death, in 1999, from motor neurone disease. During the winter of 2016/2017 Tate Britain exhibited its Richard Allen work, Six Panel Systems Painting (1972), in a BP Spotlight display. 1960s Pop art, Op art and Kinetic Art In the early 1960s he became involved In the Op art and Kinetic art movements, exhibiting with Bridget Riley, Jeffrey Steele, Michael Kidner and Peter Sedgley. A fascination with interferometry influenced his work at this time and enabled him to develop the linear element in the collage works into a form of optical painting. This work was done using fast acid dye on canvas and an acrylic resist line for the structure of the paintings. During this period Allen was also working on a series of black and white OP paintings in PVA and oil on board and graphic Op art works. Early 1970s In the early 1970s Allen was involved with Bridget Riley and Peter Sedgley's artist cooperative at the Match Shed in London. In 1970 his large two colour stripe acrylic Op art paintings on canvas were installed at the Match Shed in London (Images from Richard Allen's website) and he had a one-man show at Angela Flowers in 1971.