richard phillips
Richard Phillips has been exhibiting his work internationally since the early 1990s. Although on the surface his work can seem comparable to that of other artists who are using realistic imagery as their language, it soon becomes quite clear that Phillips’ work goes beyond pure representation and has a subversive strain running through it. He purposefully chooses imagery and subject matter that are iconic in their own right, as if to compare what popular culture holds dear to the ways in which art culture operates. Fluidly moving between glossy, gorgeously executed paintings and slick films presenting single moments in time much as paintings do, Phillips has found an exciting crossroads from which to examine how audiences process identity, politics, fame, sexuality and desires. Phillips is that rare artist who has the ability to immerse himself in popular culture without diluting his stature as a serious artist. Anyone who has seen the television series Gossip Girl will already be familiar with the images of Scout-Crop and Spectrum, as they are prominently featured in just about every episode. Scout-Crop appears in the bedroom of one of the main characters. These two different items are made from the “Prop Art” reproduction of Phillips’ original work—an interesting play on the notion of reproduction and authenticity. Richard Phillips (b. 1962 Marblehead, Massachusetts) has appeared as a guest judge on Bravo’s television series Work of Art: The Next Great Artist and has also appeared as himself on Gossip Girl. Phillips has had solo exhibitions at Le Consortium, Dijon, France (2004) and Kunstverein Hamburg, Germany (2002). His work has most recently been seen at Gagosian Gallery in New York (2012) and Hong Kong (2011), and White Cube, London (2011). The artist lives and works in New York City. www.gagosian.com www.richardphillips.com
Scout-Crop 2009 Printed canvas 30 x 361/2 inches (76.2 x 92.7 cm) Produced by Art Production Fund This reproduction of Richard Phillips’ Scout painting is not an edition, but is signed verso: XOXO Richard Phillips. Courtesy of Richard Phillips Estimated Value: $250 Minimum Bid: $100
Spectrum 1998 Print on canvas 30 x 40 inches (76.2 x 101.6 cm) Produced by Art Production Fund Signed verso: Richard Phillips This work will be personally dedicated to the winner and inscribed by the artist according to the winner’s wishes. It will also be accompanied by two photographs, both taken on the set of the television series Gossip Girl; one is of the work installed on the set of the VanDerWoodsen’s Upper East Side apartment, and the other is of the artist with Blake Lively in front of the image of Spectrum. Courtesy of Richard Phillips Estimated Value: $250 Minimum Bid: $100
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