MATT PHILLIPS

Matt Phillips joined us on the project in September 2021. Remaining in Kentish town for most of his stay, the artist explored the local area producing the series Kentish Town Pictures, including works such as Mollusk (Alma Street Garden) (2021) referencing the project space. The series includes nine pigment and silica paintings on linen, accompanied by a selection of drawings produced by the artist between 2017 and 2020. Mixing his own paints, Phillips takes the conversation of composition, shape and form directly to the canvas, gessoing over changes in a process the artist compares to collage. Clever layering of pigments give the paintings three dimensionality, where shape and colour play against each other and forms appear to retract and protrude from the canvas. However, Phillips’ paintings go beyond these spatial relationships and carry a resonance to them that is as indescribable as it is charming.

Solo shows include Remain in Light, The Landing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2021); Almost Back to Normal, One River School, Englewood, NJ (2017); Piano, piano, Studio d’Arte Raffaelli, Trento, Italy (2017), About Looking: Matt Phillips & Travis Fairclough, Ortega y Gasset Projects, Brooklyn, NY (Curated by Catherine Haggarty) (2017); Yard Sale, Devening Projects, Chicago, IL (2016); Comfort Inn, Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects, New York, NY (2016); Staring At The Sun With A Penny In My Pocket, University of Maine Museum of Art, Bangor, ME. (2014) amongst others.

His group shows include Surfaces, Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, CA (2021); Arte Fiera, Bologna, Italy (Studio d’Arte Raffaelli) (2018); Illustrative 17: The Biennale of Illustration and Graphic Art, Johanssen Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2018); Arte Verona, Verona, Italy (Studio d’Arte Raffaelli) (2017); Points of Entry, Scotty Enterprises, Berlin, Germany (2017); When Y was Thus Released: Kyle Breitenbach, Matthew Fisher, Michele Hemsoth, & Matt Phillips, Ampersand Gallery, Portland, OR (2017); Group Show, Werkartz, Los Angeles, CA (2017); Say Yes, Wayne State University, Detroit MI (Curated by Kimia Ferdowsi Kline) (2017); 20 x 16, Morgan Lehman, NY (Curated by Geoffery Young) (2017) amongst others.