an exploration of color
“Geographic. Metamorphic. Layered. Decayed. Mountainous. Built up. Deconstructed. Abstract. Conceptual. The work of Renée Phillips is embodied by not one but each of the aforementioned descriptors. Layers are built up in monochromatic schemes or multiple pools of color poured one atop another highlighting an extensive understanding of the properties of paint and a skillful use of color. Paint, both oil and acrylic, is tested and pushed beyond perceived limitations. The medium is often met on the surface with a range of enamel, spray paint, or wild posters ripped from the streets.
These materials are then combined with a critical component and process-orienting act: the addition of fire, wind, or water using alchemical techniques. What results is a metamorphosis of paint; the creation of rough yet capricious compositions filled with mountainous ranges and geographical forms often harnessed by calm pools of softly rippled and smooth valleys. The uniqueness of Phillips’ process arrests movement and allows paint to visually dazzle viewers in refreshing and visceral ways that feel like new ground is being broken. “
- Excerpt from The Process of Chaos, Parker Daley