Renowned master draftsman Joel Daniel Phillips could be heading in a captivating direction with his newest body of work titled “Hazards May Be Present.” What’s the buzz?
Joel Daniel Phillips has emerged in recent years as one of the most skilled draftsman in the country, and he might be headed in a new direction with his recent body of work, titled “Hazards May Be Present.” Since 2011, Phillips has turned his creative attention toward his very own community, often highlighting social issues. From June 2015 through August, Phillips was honored as the Palo Alto Art Center’s artist in residence, a distinction that required him to create a body of work aimed at the city of Palo Alto, California.
Phillips decided to turn his artistic lens on the residents of the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park, which remains the last of its kind as poorer residents are increasingly displaced by the rapid growth of the middle class in the Bay Area. Embroiled in a legal battle, the park has fought to survive and has evolved into a symbol in the long-running debate over gentrification.
Phillips’ newest body of work features larger-than-life-sized renderings exploring San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point Neighborhood through the lens of three deeply rooted residents. “Long neglected,” Phillips suggested, “these inhabitants’ particular piece of the Bayview is demarcated and defined by the Hunters Point Shipyard, a shuttered U.S. Navy Base closed due to extensive environmental contaminants. By examining three men’s relationship with their home through their vocation as recyclers, daily proximity to hazardous waste, and their friendship with each other in the midst of an environment fraught with abuse, the drawings explore the complex history of use and misuse of resources that have helped to shape a unique corner of San Francisco.”
To learn more, visit Joel Daniel Phillips.
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