Gary Phillips

Much of Garys current artwork contrasts the grand with the distressed, as graceful images are often painted onto the rough texture of found objects, such as old doors and panels. His method of recycling allows the artwork to start itself. Shapes that appear in these weathered surfaces will then inspire him towards a starting point. Some of the driftwood used in Garys boat series, were previously parts of boats that sailed the seas; seas that are now depicted in the paintings. In other pieces, the grain of the wood is highlighted, cleverly resembling either ripples of water on a lake or solar flares in space.


The distressed doors not only provide a striking backdrop to Garys party paintings but also symbolise the mysterious door to the unknown. Gatherings of fantastical characters can be seen, who flit from the past to the present. They feed our imagination; opening up possibilities as to what else could be round the corner.



Gary effectively balances realism with abstraction. He has the ability to simplify brushstrokes so at close inspection we are presented with an obscure mergence of colour and light, yet at a distance they suggest a more complicated image. The quick and confident use of paint gives elegant movement to imag...

BA (Homs)

Flux exhibition solo shows