Brad Phillips
First Time Sober in Europe
10.5" x 8", archival pigment print
Signed edition of 50
$150
In his hyperrealistic paintings, Brad Phillips delivers humorous yet haunting vignettes that navigate complex and often melancholic human conditions like addiction and loneliness. By presenting these themes with a combination of wordplay and comedy, Phillips creates an access point to otherwise uncomfortable truths. In his new print edition, First Time Sober in Europe, a bouquet of flowers bloom outward with tendrils outstretched; their fecundity is contrasted with an unlit cigarette nestled between a lily's petals and the sepia toned background, reminiscent of tea-stains or the watermarks made from tear drops falling onto the page. Within the image border, Phillips' characteristic handwritten scrawl reads "My First Time Sober in Europe" which is the key to his magic: by providing the feeling of raw autobiographical honesty, his work remains guarded from his personal truths, transforming himself and his audiences into voyeurs.
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