"Photo-realism" is taken to new dimensions in the work of Geelong-based artist Phillip Allen. Coming face-to-face with life-like apples, oranges, lemons and the like, blown up to almost one metre in size brings the everyday into a pleasantly confronting new light.

Following five years experimentation at Geelong Fine Art School, Phillip's current fruit pieces developed from the starting point of traditional still-life, gradually singling out either species or single items - either a grouping of apples, or just one apple - captured in stunning reality.

Working with the palette contained in the family fruit bowl allows Phillip to exhibit striking canvases of vivid colours to an extent rarely seen. His paintings, (and an equally impressive range of art-piece furniture), are rapidly finding their way into homes from the western reaches of the Surf Coast to suburban Melbourne.