By Juan Pablo Plata. (Writer and art dealer)
Allen Penniman: Artist and captain — a dual career navigating both the art world and the sea.
www.instagram.com/penniman_art/
www.apartworksgallery.com
www.instagram.com/elfresco_miami/
Interviewer: How are you doing, Allen? Allen Penniman: Pretty good.Interviewer: I wanted to ask how you ended up painting and driving boats. How did these two paths come into your life, and how did you discover you could do both?Allen Penniman: Down here in South Florida, I kind of put art aside for a while. I really wanted to travel and see the world. I was fascinated by other cultures and how people lived differently. I didn’t see much of a future in art, especially growing up in Maine, which is known for lobster fishing. In my late teens and early twenties, I worked as a sternman on a lobster boat. That’s where my life at sea began. I would work the lobster season, save up money, then backpack around the world for six months or so. I did that for a couple of years. I also worked salmon fishing in Alaska. Then I’d take off again — to Brazil, Colombia, and other places. One time I hopped on a rickety sailboat and sailed to Portugal. When we ran out of money, I went back to fishing and later took a trip to Africa. There I bought a Land Cruiser with a guy who had similar plans. We drove across much of Africa, continued up to Europe, ran out of money again, and repeated the cycle.Along the way, I met people in the yachting industry. It seemed like a more realistic career path, so I took courses in Fort Lauderdale and spent time in Miami. I entered yachting and spent most of my twenties working my way up — from deckhand to mate, engineer, and mate-engineer. I ran and captained several boats.Then, in my mid-twenties, COVID hit. I was on a boat called Farfalla, delivering it to Spain with a big crew. As the pandemic worsened and Europe started shutting down, we diverted to Portugal because of rough weather and ended up in the Azores. We waited it out, but eventually Portugal locked down completely. After a short period of surfing and hiking, most of us were let go and sent home.Back in Maine — which locked down much harder than Florida — I picked up a paintbrush again during that uncertain time. I did a small acrylic painting called Mozambique Blue and gave it to my cousin’s daughter. That piece reignited the spark I had as a kid. I thought, “I still have it.” I painted another small piece, and the bug came back.Boats started calling again, so I took a gig in Fort Lauderdale. We cruised to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. But then a good friend, Matthew Provenzano, asked me to help build a house with him in Jacksonville. I saw it as a solid opportunity and went. During that period I put art aside again. I built out a Land Cruiser, drove out west, did some skydiving, then headed down to Baja, Mexico, for surfing. That whole trip lasted about six months. I sold the truck, flew back to the Caribbean, and joined another boat for what became an incredible final chapter in full-time yachting.We raced in the Caribbean, transited the Panama Canal, sailed up through Southern California to the Aleutian Islands, crossed the Pacific to New Zealand, and spent time there. But after years of constant movement, I grew tired of it. The communities I joined never lasted longer than the job or the visa. Personal circumstances also made me step back and ask myself what I really wanted. I had loved that life, but I knew I wanted to build something lasting. The spark for art had always been there. Eventually it took over, and I decided to pursue it fully.I considered New York, but I hated the winters and couldn’t afford it. Los Angeles didn’t feel right. Santa Fe seemed interesting but impractical. Miami made the most sense — it had boats for income, a massive art scene, family in northern Florida, and my best friend in Jacksonville. Three years ago, almost to the day, I packed my bags and moved here.The first year I came in very aggressive, thinking I’d crank out dozens of paintings quickly. Reality hit fast. I had to slow down, learn, and actually create. That’s when I made the Evanescent series — six paintings in which I taught myself oil painting. I focused on light, chaos, simplicity, and techniques for painting sand, water, fire, and expressions. The style I developed during that series is still with me today.A friend from the maritime world, Josh Rivait, kept urging me to visit Northwood Art and Music in West Palm Beach. People in Miami weren’t really noticing my work yet, and the industry is tough to break into. I finally went, met Maximo Caminero and Ariel Basso, and got an opportunity for a solo show when another artist needed to adjust his dates. Maximo liked my work, and we went for it. That solo show at Northwood really opened doors to many opportunities that followed. Things have taken off since then. Right now, for example, I’m heading to paint a mural in Little Havana.Interviewer: That’s great to hear.Allen Penniman: Long story short, that’s where I am today.Interviewer: Did you receive any formal education in the arts, or are you self-taught?Allen Penniman: Completely self-taught. No formal education at all.Interviewer: Now let’s talk about the subjects you paint. Lately you’ve also been doing street art here in Miami. How did you decide to portray alligators and the underworld aspects of the country — drug dealing, legal and illegal weapons, and other heavy themes? You seem drawn to sordid or intense subjects like a gas station on fire. You also paint scenes that capture Florida. Do you plan to paint your home state of Maine in the future? How do you choose your topics, and why?Allen Penniman: It’s not quite as straightforward as saying it’s about drug dealing. I’m almost always trying to depict scenes or moments in life. The Evanescent series was the big starting point for what I’m trying to express — capturing fleeting moments.I use certain images and feelings to evoke deeper ideas. Take The Kids Are All Right, with the fire and flames. I like twisting reality in cinematic ways. I’ve always been drawn to stories — through movies, books, and music. With that painting, I show kids burning Gucci bags and blowing up Lamborghinis, expressing how the youth don’t care about material things. It’s a release from the societal weight and materialism we accumulate as we grow older.The painting Rodeo, which looks like a handoff between two trucks, is part of my ongoing Drive-In series — eleven large paintings that form one continuous story. I won’t explain the whole thing yet because I want people to stay engaged as it unfolds, but it’s about facing fate and change. It draws on elements of American outlaw culture that evolve as the narrative progresses.As for guns, you’re probably thinking of Disregarded Malignant Outcome from the Evanescent series. It features a wild blue figure wearing a crown of AK-47s. That piece explores the military-industrial complex, how society handles conflict, and the darker forces that shape the world. I also included a bull as a symbol of the bull market and the harmful outcomes of greed. These paintings are juxtapositions of things I’ve observed and experienced, presented in a cinematic, almost directed way. With Evanescent, I wanted to make chaos visually enjoyable while tackling bigger themes.Interviewer: Before we move on to what you’re listening to, watching, and reading, let’s talk about the animals and the local South Florida environment in your work. Do you portray it because you love it, or because it’s so different from Maine? What draws you to paint where you live instead of other subjects?Allen Penniman: There’s so much I want to say that I’ll never fully capture it all. Florida’s aesthetics play a major role because this is where I live now, where I’m building my life, and where my community is. As much as I love Maine, Miami is home. My advice to any artist is to throw yourself into the heart of a place. South Florida has a real, supportive community where people help each other. That energy and those aesthetics are a big part of my work and my existence right now.Interviewer: What are you reading right now, Allen?Allen Penniman: I’m reading The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy — the author of No Country for Old Men, Blood Meridian, and The Road. It has that western feel, which fits perfectly with the Drive-In series I’m working on. He has a very unique writing style, and I’m really enjoying it. I switch between classics here and there when I have time.Interviewer: What about music? What has stuck with you throughout your life, and what are you listening to now?Allen Penniman: I listen to every type of music — from country to Brazilian funk and everything in between. Mississippi Delta Blues is a constant favorite I can listen to any time of day. I’ve been listening to a lot of it, especially while working on the mural projects. I’ve also been getting into more hip-hop because I’m a co-op artist at El Fresco Project Space in Miami, and the space has strong hip-hop elements.Interviewer: What about film or series? What are you watching now, or what older movies and shows would you recommend?Allen Penniman: I haven’t been watching much TV lately. I’ve had Slow Horses on Apple TV playing in the background, along with some stand-up comedy. But when I do sit down, I love David Lynch films, 1970s classics like Taxi Driver, and anything by Quentin Tarantino. Cinema has always been a huge influence on my painting, but I’ve been too busy lately to watch as much as I’d like.Interviewer: Before we finish, where can people see your artworks? Where are they showing now or in the future? Where can they be bought, and what are your social networks?Allen Penniman: Right now the best place to see my work is at El Fresco Project Space in Little Havana, Miami, Florida, where I’m a resident co-op artist. We have a new show every month, with work constantly rotating, and great events. It’s a real, vibrant side of Miami’s art scene — similar in spirit to Northwood Art and Music in West Palm Beach. Come check it out if you’re in the area.You can also see my work on my website at https://apartworksgallery.com . The best way to keep up is on Instagram at @penniman_art.Interviewer: As is usual with our podcast interviews, please leave a final message for the listeners — whatever feels right, whether it’s something rotten or something that might help them grow.Allen Penniman: Things are really taking off for me right now — the foot is on the gas. When you get into that car and you’re moving toward what you want, don’t let up. You can sleep when it’s all over. Sleep when you’ve done what you needed to do. Keep the foot on the gas and keep going. That’s my message to every artist and to everyone who wants to build something real and do what they truly want in this life.Interviewer: Beautiful. Never stop.Allen Penniman: Never stop. There’s no time to stop.Interviewer: Thank you for your time, Mr. Penniman. It was a pleasure.Allen Penniman: You as well. Take care.Interviewer: Bye bye.
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