Opening today at San Francisco’s Hashimoto Contemporary is an exciting solo exhibition of new photorealistic charcoal and graphite drawings from this talented draftsman.
Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco, California, is overjoyed to be presenting the latest drawings from the incredibly talented Joel Daniel Phillips, who has emerged over recent years as one of the most skilled draftsman in the country. The show will be his first with Hashimoto Contemporary since 2014.
Joel Daniel Phillips, “Billy #2,” 2015, charcoal and graphite on paper, 42 x 94 in. (c) Joel Daniel Phillips 2016
Since 2011, Phillips has turned his creative attention toward his very own community, often highlighting particular 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.
Joel Daniel Phillips, “David,” 2015, charcoal and graphite on paper, 53 1/2 x 60 in. (c) Joel Daniel Phillips 2016
Speaking of this newest exhibition, Phillips suggests, “This show is an attempt to play with our voyeuristic tendencies towards the indigence surrounding us, hiding in plain sight.” Continuing, the gallery writes, “Phillips’ goal is to celebrate each person he draws as the main character in their own narrative. ‘Belongings’ explores the framework of portraiture by presenting four large-scale figures paired with solitary objects. Serving as an extension of their character, these possessions occupy the same sized paper as their human counterpart. The diptychs stand at a monumental scale, speaking not only through their realistic presence, but through the negative space that surrounds them.”
Joel Daniel Phillips, “Renee,” 2015, charcoal and graphite on paper, 42 x 94 in. (c) Joel Daniel Phillips 2016
“Belongings” opens on May 5 and will hang through May 28. To learn more, visit Hashimoto Contemporary.
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