“I organize color and gesture interactions to allow the inherent physical qualities of my tools and materials to manifest.”
A Journey from Prairie Landscapes to Artistic Excellence
Leon Phillips is a contemporary painter based in Vancouver, Canada, known for his exceptional ability to manipulate space and light in his artworks. His formative years were spent on a farm in Saskatchewan, where the vast, open landscapes left an indelible mark on his artistic vision. Growing up in such an environment instilled in him a profound appreciation for the interplay of light and space, which would later become central themes in his paintings. This rural backdrop, combined with his academic pursuits in art and environmental studies, significantly shaped his unique approach to contemporary painting.
Phillips’ educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo. These academic experiences enriched his understanding of both artistic techniques and environmental concepts, enabling him to merge these disciplines seamlessly in his work. The visual stimuli of the prairies, with their expansive horizons and dynamic light conditions, provided Phillips with a rich tapestry of inspiration, grounding his interest in the visual phenomena of light and space.
The artist’s early exposure to the arts was nurtured by his family and educators. Encouragement from his parents and teachers, coupled with a passion for drawing and creating, set Phillips on a path towards a career in art. An influential piano teacher introduced him to the Group of Seven, a collective of Canadian landscape painters, sparking his interest in the rhythmic and movement aspects of painting. These early influences were pivotal in shaping his artistic aspirations and techniques.
Leon Phillips: The Spark of Inspiration and the Journey of Mastery
Phillips’ journey into the world of art was marked by significant milestones and inspirations. A key moment came when he received his first set of oil paints at the age of thirteen, igniting a lifelong passion for painting. This gift marked the beginning of his serious engagement with art, as he spent his high school years refining his skills with oil paints. Determined to pursue a career as an artist, Phillips enrolled in the University of Saskatchewan, where he studied under the renowned Canadian painter Otto Rogers. Rogers played a crucial role in Phillips’ artistic development, offering mentorship and critical feedback that would influence his work for years to come.
The artist’s style is deeply rooted in gestural abstraction, where he meticulously organizes color and gesture interactions to highlight the physical qualities of his tools and materials. Phillips’ work aims to create immersive experiences for viewers, using color to evoke a corporeal response. He views his role as a facilitator, collaborating with his tools and materials to produce paintings that transcend their physical form, engaging viewers on a visceral level. This approach reflects his belief in the agency of all elements within the studio space, a concept influenced by the philosophy of new materialism.
Phillips’ artistic influences are diverse, drawing inspiration from artists who worked wet into wet, such as Willem De Kooning and Chaïm Soutine. He admires their ability to achieve chromatic clarity and expressive light through immediate, intuitive painting methods. The works of Stanley Whitney and Ed Moses also resonate with him; Whitney’s structural use of color and Moses’ material-centric approach align closely with Phillips’ own artistic philosophy. These influences have helped shape his understanding of color and materiality, allowing him to create paintings that are both structurally and visually compelling.
The Studio Environment: Tools, Techniques, and Avoiding Distractions
In his studio, Phillips places great importance on the tools and surfaces he uses, which are integral to his creative process. He works exclusively with Da Vinci brushes, assigning a specific brush to each series of paintings to ensure consistency in his brushstrokes. This meticulous attention to detail allows him to achieve a controlled and extended graphic gesture in his work. His preferred surfaces include canvas stretched over wood panels for oil paintings and a painting platform for his watercolor and gouache works. The rigid, horizontal surfaces enable him to manipulate the viscosity of his paints, engaging with gravity in unique ways to enhance the performative aspect of his painting process.
Phillips is acutely aware of the challenges posed by distractions in the studio. To maintain focus, he employs several strategies, such as keeping his phone turned off to avoid interruptions from calls and notifications. He also refrains from taking photographs during the painting process, believing that digital cameras can mislead his decision-making. By relying solely on his body and eye, Phillips ensures that his creative choices remain authentic and uninfluenced by digital interference. This disciplined approach helps him maintain a pure and immersive connection with his work.
The artist’s workspace is designed to facilitate his unique painting techniques. The thin nature of his paints requires a horizontal working surface, which allows him to achieve a sleek, silky feel in his gestures and prevents the paint from dripping. This method not only enhances the tactile quality of his paintings but also allows him to engage with the material properties of his mediums in a dynamic way. Phillips’ studio environment is a testament to his commitment to creating art that is both visually striking and deeply resonant on a sensory level.
Leon Phillips: Art as a Conduit for Sensory Experience
Phillips’ work transcends the boundaries of traditional painting, serving as a conduit for shared sensory experiences. His exploration of metaphysical concepts through the materiality of color invites viewers to engage with his paintings on a visceral level. One of his most significant inspirations is Willem de Kooning’s “Door to the River,” a painting that epitomizes the alla prima technique Phillips employs. This painting’s clarity of space and light, along with its dynamic surface, embodies the confidence and optimism of the post-war period. Phillips aspires to capture similar qualities in his work, striving to communicate a sense of hope and freedom.
In addition to oil paints, Phillips works with watercolor and gouache, enjoying the contrast and fresh perspectives each medium offers. His oil painting technique, honed over years, involves a carefully devised thinning medium that prevents surfaces from becoming tacky too quickly and imparts a satin-matte finish. This meticulous approach ensures that his gestures remain fluid, allowing the physical properties of the paint to shine through. His ability to navigate different mediums and apply lessons learned from one to another showcases his versatility and deep understanding of pigment.
Phillips dreams of expanding his practice by working on a larger scale in a more expansive studio space. He envisions creating a series of large oil paintings and hosting open studios to share his process with others. Artist residencies also hold a special place in his heart, as they provide opportunities for dialogue and interaction with fellow artists, fostering an environment of creative growth. These aspirations reflect his ongoing commitment to artistic development and his desire to continually push the boundaries of his work.
In every piece, Phillips seeks to create paintings that are not just visual objects but immersive experiences that engage viewers on multiple sensory levels. Through his innovative techniques and profound understanding of color and materiality, Leon Phillips continues to push the boundaries of contemporary painting, inviting audiences to explore the depths of light, space, and sensory perception in his works.
