Richard Phillips

In this episode, David Humphrey interviews New York painter Richard Phillips. Richard presents a playlist that spans centuries, beginning with the evocative "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana, and transitioning through European apocalyptic folk music to contemporary sounds emerging from Los Angeles. The conversation explores Richard's ideological perspective on how music embodies both beauty and aggression, emphasizing how his paintings evoke both love and violence simultaneously. Richard shares tracks from influential bands like "Death in June" and "Sol Invictus," which juxtapose haunting melodies with politically charged themes. Richard Phillips (b. 1962) sources his subject matter from advertising, pornography, fashion spreads, and the news, to make hyperrealistic paintings that meditate on mainstream media’s obsession with sex, death, and power.  Image: Blauvelt, 2013. Courtesy of Artsy.