Christopher Allen (born 1953)[1] is an Australian art historian, critic, and educator.
Born in Algiers to Australian parents, Allen was educated in the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Japan, France and Australia.
[4] In his critiques of works and artists, Allen emphasises craftmanship, skill, and formal and aesthetic qualities.
He deplores "bland, decorative surface[s]" and he points to "pseudo-political contemporary art", especially as expressed in the wall labels in museums.
[5] Large-scale portraits, as commonly submitted to the Archibald Prize, are regular subjects of his criticism.