Brad Phillips’ photorealistic and text-based paintings are autobiographical, figuring his wife in intimate moments, or depicting various phrases that might amuse or terrify him. These are confessional works, expressing dread, absurdity and the complexity of love and domesticity. In turns provocative and erotic, or dad-jokey and sentimental, as a whole his work is confrontational—through his paintings, he confronts himself. A hopeless romantic and a self-proclaimed “failed writer,” all his sources of pride and all of his insecurities evidently live inside these paintings. I have worked with Brad for many years, as he is an ongoing contributor to this magazine, but I have never actually met him. It is wholly a testament to the expressive intimacy of his work that I feel I know him in the way that I do. His current exhibition, Bullshit Both Talks & Walks, is a collection of oil paintings by which you may get to know the artist for yourself. Bullshit Both Talks & Walks is currently ondisplay at Allen & Eldridge gallery in New York until February 26th, and by appointment until March 5th. – Olivia Whittick
Brad Phillips: Bullshit Both Talks & Walks
Brad Phillips’ photorealistic and text-based paintings are autobiographical, figuring his wife in intimate moments, or depicting various phrases that might amuse or terrify him. These are confessional works, expressing dread, absurdity and the complexity of love and domesticity. In turns provocative and erotic, or dad-jokey and sentimental, as a whole his work is confrontational—through his paintings, he confronts himself. A hopeless romantic and a self-proclaimed “failed writer,” all his sources of pride and all of his insecurities evidently live inside these paintings. I have worked with Brad for many years, as he is an ongoing contributor to this magazine, but I have never actually met him. It is wholly a testament to the expressive intimacy of his work that I feel I know him in the way that I do. His current exhibition, Bullshit Both Talks & Walks, is a collection of oil paintings by which you may get to know the artist for yourself. Bullshit Both Talks & Walks is currently on display at Allen & Eldridge gallery in New York until February 26th, and by appointment until March 5th. – Olivia Whittick