fleeting world rich allen

FLEETING WORLD

Rich Allen

London-born Australian artist Rich Allen has worked exclusively

with watercolour drawings under the theme of ‘intimism’ [capturing

quiet/fleeting moments] using the subject of the female figure and

subsequent use of pattern. He has enthusiastically worked across

12 years in the pursuit of mastery, clocking up over 20,600 hours

of dedicated practice time.

While the artistic practice spans physical drawings, Rich has

developed a highly philosophical understanding of his journey.

The general practice comprises artworks on paper, charting

incremental progress, delivering inspiring talks, evidencing and

theorising his pursuit of mastery.

Driven by process, Rich’s approach is organised and measured,

with all his time accurately recorded in journals. In April 2021, he

accrued 20,000 hours of completed practice. The two scopes of

10,000 hours carried the moniker ‘Apprentice’, then ‘Journeyman’.

He has calculated and charted the various dates during which

he believes “brief spells of progress” have been achieved and

is currently engaged in a third scope as ‘Artisan’, which will be

a further 10,000 hours. He has given this next 10,000-hour target

the title: “Surrender to Uncertainty”.

Fleeting World is the amalgamation of the first experiments

of surrendering to uncertainty during the week-long residency

at Side Gallery and allows a sneak-peek into future work’s

ephemeral shapes.

Laura Brinin

Curator

Side Gallery

Rich AllenFleeting World

From the curatorLaura Brinin

Stellar Spirit I 2021

Pencil and watercolour on

Saunders Waterford CP 640 gsm

76 x 28 cm

Stellar Spirit II 2021



76 x 28 cm01

Rich Allen03

Vertical Pattern Two 2021

Pencil and watercolour on Saunders Waterford CP 425 gsm

17 x 12 cm

In A Summer Cloud 2021


17 x 12 cm

Floating Pattern One 2021


17 x 12 cm

Floating Pattern Two 2021


17 x 12 cm

Side Gallery 04 Fleeting World

Trois Figures Feminines I 2020

Pencil on Saunders Waterford CP 425 gsm

38 x 28 cm

Spirit Rising Surrender I 2021



76 x 28 cm

Spirit Rising Surrender II 2021



76 x 28 cm

07Side Gallery 06 Rich Allen

Fleeting World Series 2021

Archival photographic inkjet print

12 x 16 in

Photography Erik Williamson

Side Gallery 08

Floating Spirit III 2021

Pencil and watercolour on Saunders

Waterford CP 640 gsm

76 x 28 cm

Nurture 2021



76 x 28 cm

Embracing and enjoying plateaus of pure

practice, while acknowledging the occasional

‘brief spells of progress’ are paramount to my

processes of working.

Rich AllenFloating Spirit VI 2021



76 x 28 cm10

Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:

A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,

A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,

A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream.

The Diamond Sutra C890

He studied painting and drawing between 1968 and 1973, and is an honours

graduate from the Central Central St Martins School of Art, in London.

Following six years teaching art and coaching sport at high school level in

The Bahamas, Rich migrated to Brisbane in 1982, and on arrival opened

a graphic design practice specialising in corporate identity [a service

he describes as making business strategy visible through design, and

defines as one of “differentiation by design”]. Following a great deal of soul

searching, fuelled by a desire for personal re-invention, Rich returned to his

fine art origins on a full-time basis, in late 2009.

Working with the single-minded theme of ‘intimism’ [capturing quiet/

fleeting moments], and driven by process, Rich’s approach is organised and

measured, with all his time accurately recorded. In April 2021, he accrued

20000 hours of practice [comprising two scopes of 10000 hours, one carrying

the moniker ‘apprentice’ and the other ‘journeyman’]. He has calculated and

charted the various dates during which he believes “brief spells of progress”

have been achieved, and is currently engaged in a third scope as ‘artisan’.

He has given this 10000 hour target the title: “Surrender to Uncertainty”.

Rich states: “I believe that my work is simply

about a disciplined pursuit towards some

sort of mastery.” He adds: “Mastery is best

expressed through this definition by Aikido

master George Leonard. It reads: ‘MASTERY:

the mysterious process during which what is at

first difficult, becomes progressively easier and

more pleasurable through practice’. Embracing

and enjoying plateaus of pure practice are

paramount to my processes of working.”

In more recent years, Rich has developed a

presentation: “talking in whispers”, which he

has given to a number of professional entities,

including the Australian Institute of Architects’

continuing development programme throughout

2019. This illustrated talk is divided into a

number of segments, verbalizing and visualizing

his journey from its outset.

Rich Allen describes himself as “a London-Brit by birth, and an Australian by choice!”

Elevation Three 2021


29.5 x 19.5 cm

Elevation Four 2021


29.5 x 19.5 cm

Des

ign

Des

ignf

ront

…all This Fleeting World 2021


40 x 29.5 cm

fleeting world rich allen

Documents