Richard Phillips is a celebrated American artist renowned for his hyper-realistic paintings that often blur the lines between fine art and popular culture. Born in 1962, Phillips has built a career on his keen ability to capture the glossy, seductive veneer of celebrity and consumer culture. His works frequently feature famous faces and iconic imagery, rendered with meticulous detail and vibrant colors, offering both a critique and celebration of the media-saturated world we inhabit.

One of Phillips’ notable works, “California Dreaming,” exemplifies his style and thematic focus. This painting features Lindsay Lohan, a prominent actress and celebrity, depicted lounging on a beach in the sun. The piece captures Lohan in a white bikini, her blonde hair cascading around her as she reclines on the sand, embodying the quintessential image of Hollywood glamour and the carefree, sun-soaked lifestyle associated with California.

“California Dreaming” is striking for its vivid realism and the way it encapsulates a moment of serene, yet alluring beauty. The choice of Lohan as the subject is significant; she is both a symbol of modern celebrity culture and a figure whose personal struggles have been extensively publicized, adding a layer of complexity to the otherwise idyllic scene. Phillips’ portrayal of her is both iconic and intimate, presenting her as a contemporary Venus, a figure of desire and fascination.

The artwork’s composition and execution are meticulous. Phillips employs a polished, almost photographic technique that brings out every detail—from the texture of the sand to the glint of sunlight on Lohan’s skin. This attention to detail not only highlights the physical beauty of the scene but also underscores the artificiality and constructed nature of such images in media. The hyper-realism creates a tension between reality and fantasy, drawing viewers to question the authenticity of the glamour presented to them.

“California Dreaming” also reflects Phillips’ interest in the intersection of art and advertising. The imagery is reminiscent of high-end fashion photography and luxury advertisements, yet it is rendered in the traditional medium of oil on canvas. This blending of styles serves to critique the commodification of beauty and the pervasive influence of media representations in shaping our perceptions of reality.

In “California Dreaming,” Richard Phillips continues his exploration of the themes of celebrity, media, and the idealized body, delivering a work that is as thought-provoking as it is visually stunning. By choosing Lindsay Lohan as his subject and capturing her in a moment of radiant, almost otherworldly allure, Phillips invites viewers to reflect on the seductive power of images and the complex narratives behind the celebrities who populate our cultural imagination.

Richard Phillips (b. 1962 in Marblehead, Massachusetts) lives and works in New York. His painting, inspired by Pop Art, deals with celebrities and other commodities that can iconically stand in for our contemporary desires.

Richard Phillips has exhibited widely in the United States and Europe. He is represented in public and private collections such as the

Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; the Denver Museum, Colorado; the Modern Art Museum of Fort
Worth, Texas; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Miami; UBS Paine Webber Art
Collection, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Tate Modern, London; Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Netherlands; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.

Education
1984 BFA in Painting, Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, MA.
1986 MFA in Painting, Yale University School of Art, New Haven, CT.

Solo Exhibitions:
2016 Almine Rech Gallery, Brussels.
2015 ‘Richard Phillips: Conversations’ Matthew NYC, New York, NY.
‘Richard Phillips. Gagosian Gallery, Athens, Greece.
2014 ‘Richard Phillips. Max Hetlzer Gallery, Berlin, Germany.
‘Richard Phillips: Negation of the Universe’. Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, TX.
2012 ‘Richard Phillips: Lindsay Lohan’. The Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane, Queensland,
Australia.
‘Richard Phillips. Gagosian Gallery, West 24th Street, New York, NY.
2011 ‘Richard Phillips: Most Wanted.’ White Cube, London, England.
2010 ‘Museum of Prints and Drawings: Between Thought and Action’. White Cube, London, England.
2009 ‘Richard Phillips: New Museum’. Gagosian Gallery, Madison Avenue, New York, NY.
2007 ‘Richard Phillips. Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA.
2006 ‘Richard Phillips: Early Works on Paper’. Max Hetzler Gallery, Berlin, Germany.
2005 ‘Richard Phillips: Michael Fried’. White Cube, London, England.
‘Law, Sex & Christian Society. Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York, NY.
2004 ‘Richard Phillips: Paintings and Drawings’. Le Consortium, Dijon, France.
2003 ‘Richard Phillips: New Paintings’. Max Hetzler Gallery, Berlin, Germany.
2001 ‘America’. Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York, NY.
Max Hetzler Gallery, Berlin, Germany.
2000 Kunsthalle Zurich, Switzerland.
1999 Johnen & Schöttle Gallery, Cologne, Germany.
Rudiger Schöttle Gallery, Munich, Germany.
1998 Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York, NY.
Stephen Friedman Gallery, London, England.
1997 ‘Richard Phillips, Paintings’. Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
‘Richard Phillips: New Paintings’. Turner & Runyon Gallery, Dallas, TX.
1996 ‘Richard Phillips: Recent Paintings.’ Edward Thorp Gallery, New York, NY.
1995 ‘Knoxville Paintings. Edward Thorp Gallery, New York, NY.
1994 ‘White Columns’, New York, NY.