This archival pigment ink print on stretched canvas is a signed limited edition of 2 + 1AP. For additional information, please contact us at 646.476.3116 or email gallery@exhibitiona.com.
Richard Phillips' Most Wanted series depicts 10 of today's most recognized faces against luxury branded step-and-repeat backdrops. Each portrait features a bright, multi-color halo, a reference to Richard Bernstein's illustrations from Interview Magazine - this halo emphasizes the electric stardom of these secular deities while simultaneously flattening their image, melding them into the brands they represent, as if a decal or trading card.
While these works are certainly a nod to Warhol's Pop Art portraits of celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, Phillips' portraits are appropriately filtered through a modern lens and directly address what Warhol's art only implied; that contemporary art absolutely needs 2 things to survive: celebrity endorsement and luxury brand sponsorships.
The original large-scale oil paintings were exhibited at White Cube's Hoxton Square space in London earlier this year.
Net proceeds from the sales of this print benefit the Whitney Museum of American Art's Youth Insights Program, the nationally acclaimed arts education and community outreach program for New York City high school students.
The Whitney Museum of American Art’s Education Department seeks to advance the field of education through experimental and rigorous programs that draw on the process, spirit, and intelligence of contemporary artists. The programs are dedicated to directly engaging visitors with living artists and with the exciting challenge of exploring ideas in contemporary art. Focusing on the Whitney’s world-renowned collection of twentieth-century and contemporary American art and its innovative exhibition program, the Whitney strives to make art accessible to diverse audiences—from children to young artists, art students, and seniors—through in-depth observation and discussions of art, its historical context, and critical significance. Impacting over 50,000 individuals yearly, the Whitney Education staff design an array of interdisciplinary, multidimensional programs, including workshops and seminars, gallery tours, classroom visits, school partnerships, and online resources designed to complement and enhance the impact of the exhibitions and make the Whitney’s permanent collection widely accessible as a learning resource.
