Homage to Richard Hamilton's, "Just What Is It That Makes Today's Homes..."

Above is my homage to Richard Hamilton's work, "Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?"  

Do you remember the first time you experienced Art?  For me, it was a library book, most likely on Pop Culture Art, that had Hamilton's work as an example. I was probably around the age of seven.

Most Art historians will agree his  work was one of the first examples of "Pop Art."  I so enjoy the contemporary references that are detailed in the links above in reference to Hamilton's works.  And as one who loves Pop Art, his work is most special to me. 

In my work, we are, as well as in our relationships, our homes and even child rearing, impacted (if not directly influenced) by the Internet.  No longer is our home a sanctuary from the outside world, but its once secure boundaries fail with the inclusion of WIFI.  

Also, never have we been more aware of information and sharing of the same; we can instantly answer questions and return answers.  Never before in the history of mankind has knowledge been less restricted to the common man and woman. Literally, we are on top of the world.  We live in a golden age of knowledge. 

My work has a few references that will not be evident in the image above.  L.C.R. Licklider was one of the founders of what would become as we know it, affectionately, "the Internet."  My psychedelic rendition of him dominates the living room window.  His image, rightly so, is web emeshed.  He wrote, in 1960, an academic article, entitled, "Man-Computer Symbiosis,"    Again, this was in 1960!  Is it comforting, or not, that really nothing has changed in the last 54 years?  For me, the comfort and challenge is the same, a ying/yang that recognized both our opportunities and losses.  

And of course, any reference to Pop Culture and the Internet would not be complete without a reference to creator of the Internet, Al Gore! 

 

Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing in 2014?

 

Blue

J.C.R. Licklider

Man-Computer Symbiosis

 

Thrill

Alone

Blue

 

 

"Wanting to Fly" on Display

Photograph by Lyman Zobell, August 1, 2014

I'm very happy and proud to support my local arts center, which provides many opportunities for education, awareness and encouragement of the Arts in my hometown .  As a member of the Downtown New Port Richey Gallery, I often participate in the many opportunities the gallery provides to display and sell local art.  The theme for this month's show is "motion" and I chose to enter my work entitled, Wanting to Fly  (click here for a better view of this work).  Part of the sales from this work, as well as any prints purchased during this month of August, will go to support this fine gallery.  If you would like to make a purchase, please contact me at info@nathanmarkphillips.com 

One Giant Leap

Forty-five years ago this evening my parents woke me from a restful sleep to watch to the first men on the moon.  I remember watching the event, in my pajamas, on our family's Admiral black & white television set.  I thank my parents for waking me and giving  me this memory. 

When Neil Armstrong died a couple of years ago, in response, I created this work above in the  honor of his memory.   In my research (which I always conduct when creating such works), I discovered that the team took with them a symbol of peace, a gold olive branch, and left it there.  I included it my my work.

I honor the bravery of the men and women who made this event possible and specifically those of Apollo 11.  Thank you for your service to our country and our world. 

Click here to see the NASA website to the event.  The Wikipedia site has more information here.

 

 

All is Fair in Love and War on Mars

Above is my latest work which is entitled, "All is Fair in Love and War on Mars."  If you like my work, please share and if you are interested in making a purchase, please click here. 

 

All is Fair in Love and War on Mars

 

 

Passion

Fear of Execution

Execution

 

The Look of Love

The Art of War

Mar's Dust, Red 

Six

Six

Six is a series of works I completed during the winter of 2014. Surreal in nature, these six works explore timeless and familiar archetypal themes that resonate. In addition to the biographies of various Surrealists, whose life stories I was reading during this time, I was equally influenced by Max Tegmark’s book, “Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality.”  In it, the physicist theorizes that all existence, life,  and perceived reality is a mathematical structure.  These equations, such as the “golden ratio,” are repeated throughout our universe and in nature.

For me, the story that weaves together the Six was not apparent until the last.  It is my hope that you, my viewer, will discover your own story.

The Breath of the Drowned

 

drowning girl

fish out of water

water from a rock

 

immovable god

weathered clock

another day dawns

The Breath of the Drowned

The Love of the Tetraplegic 

 

tetraplegic’s gaze

downward look

baby’s embrace

 

flock of rhinoceros

object of birds

sunset, far way

The Love of the Tetraplegic

The Song of the Aphasic

 

song of the universe

unspeakable truths

the caged bird sings

 

perfect pitch 

the sound of fins 

a crying child

The Song of the Aphasic

The Sight of the Retinopathic

 

the astrologer’s insight

the golden equation

the mathematician’s deference 

 

eyes to see

but see not

π

The Sight of the Retinopathic

 

The Vision of the Dead

time bends

bright light

answer key

 

drowning in life

at the bottom of the sea

first breath of air


The Vision of the Dead

The Surprise of the Seer

 

Α Ω 

Principia

∞

The Suprise of the Seer

The Suprise of the Seer

Working on 6

I am currently working a series of six works that I hope to complete in April 2014, at the latest.  This is my first attempt to process six works at once.  I look forward to sharing the project with you, once completed.  I am excited and am so enjoying this process. nmp

Fog Warning

nathanmarkphillipschristmasfog.JPG

During this time of the year around my home in Florida, there is often fog that creaps in during the afternoon (my term for this is, "Christmas Fog").  Today a fog warning was rightly issued.  I took this image early this morning while on my walk.  It is the view from the bridge on main street New Port Richey, Florida, that overlooks the Pithlachascotee River (or as the locals call it, "the Cotee River"). 

The image was taken with my iPhone and I used Snapseed for processing.  nmp

Sentimental Memories, All Good

nathanmarkphillipsjal.jpg

As humans, we always have a place for sentimentality.  This one is rich beyond measure.  Happy times when hugging and touching are taken for granted and our memories  of "Trouble" make us very happy.

Martin Luthur King, Jr

nathanmarkphillipsMLK2014.jpg

Above is my work, "Psychedelic Obama" which is part my psychedelic series of works (which you may see here).

As a student of theology and one who has studied the life of Jesus Christ for years, for me Martin Luther King  lived a "Christ-like" life like no other American on a public stage in the 20th Century.  

One year ago America's first African American President was re-elected for a second term on MLK Day.  The parallel of these two events occuring on the same day was truly, mythical. 

Ballerina Dreams, Artist's Statement

nathanmarkphillipsbd.jpg

Ballerina Dreams

Central to this work is the face:  the red, rich lips and placed like a sacrament on those lips, is the ballerina in the dream.  She has a doll face, which is scary, unreal and a bit, freakish.  The blue heron, photographed by me a few years ago, is the second primarily element: there is so much rich detail and beauty in this bird and yet is placed in relation to the ballerina to appear she is being eaten by the beautiful bird.  The owl was selected early on and placed at the point of the face’s eye:  wisdom, knowing, seeing all with a majestic wingspan.  The juxposition of the two penguins (which for me are very humorous) are seen flying in a balloon, again placed at the face’s eye.  I think they must be part of a child’s story called, “The Flight of the Flying-Balloon Penguins!” They are humorous and disarming.  The trees are part of another image: that is, the main elements without the “face” are part of a hidden, complete work, unseen in this work, the visual one where the dancer, penguins and bird all fit within it as well.  For me the bird tattoos on the face are like a rich tapestry and is a backdrop for the theme of birds, flying and danger and emphasize the themes of flight, danger and beauty.

 The process of creating this work was very difficult.  I had just finished the “Passing of Secrets” and was feeling very good about it; also many had expressed that they liked it, which is always a big boost.  But the demons of doubt were strong.  I found it very difficult to concentrate and did not feel compelled to begin with blocks of color, which for me is often a creative starting point.  So I just started going through images and stopping at the ones that drew me in.  I started collecting the ones that did draw me in not knowing how they would interrelate.  During this process I decided that I did want to use the sleeping woman and tried to fit her into a back ground with a general landscape setting (such as a lake) but that did not feel right.  In Photoshop, I manipulating her face, changing the perspective to what you see in the work.  Once the face was placed, filling in the entire screen, I then knew I had the base of my work.  Another key moment was the placing of the ballerina in the mouth; even before that I knew I wanted the ballerina to have the doll face, which for me gave it a scary, dead disturbing image.  The balloon was also selected early on but it was taken out and put back many times.  The penguins made me smile.  I found them during my search for elements and initially liked them but was not sure they would be part of this work. Eventually, I liked the way they were obviously looking at something and I knew they would be looking at the ballerina and also would give balance to the blue heron.  Early on, the blue heron was more full bodied, but after playing the with size and placement for a while,  I increased the size to the point of where it is now; also, I knew that the heron would interact with the ballerina in the form of “eating her for lunch” and also bringing balance to the tattoo bird on the face doing the same thing. This created a real world/ unreal world balance that I liked.  At one point I had the all the elements where they are now and I knew it for placement and interaction of the elements that it was finished.  I then did close inspection where I go around and look at the work in a high resolution and made several corrections and ran it through some filters that increase the color richness and contrast.  Afterwards, I was very excited to have it completed and knew it was done.  I was glad and happy at the results.

 I see this work in an exotic location where “surreal” would be at home: it is rich in color, dreamlike, exotic, bizarre, and multi-dimensional.  For me, it would be something that reminds the viewer of dreams and the fears that come with our dreams and what might happen if we face and overcome them. 

I wish I could print this effectively on a heavy, medieval tapestry and hang it in a great castle. 

 I believe the concept of the work is one of dreams and of the unconscious, and perhaps, universal nightmares.  The ballerina in the dream is watched, judged, vulnerable and in danger; recurring themes of escape and flying away are present.   But in the end, we must face our internal battles and dance.

 

The Passing of Time

The Passing of Time

The Passing of Time

My work above is the last of my "Passing" series which includes, "The Passing of the Hippopotami" and "The Passing of Secrets."

When we are children, we have the gift of full life: of promise and future; of dreams of what will be.  We are unaware of limitation or the concept of death; the child does not know that their time has an end; that the clock is indeed, “ticking.”  The child is surrounded by dogs; two puppies that are full of life and are playful and inquisitive; they are observant of the light of life and of things “ticking” but not their significance.  The older dog, close to his end and more aware, looks into the face of the death angel.  The image of Mary, symbolic in this work of the creation of life, looks sadly at the child, as a mother is filled both with joy of life and sorrow for its end.

For me the central image is the light in the child’s hand: it is life itself. it parallels the big bang above which marks the beginning of all life and time.

A few elements from the Passing of the Hippopotami and the Passing of Secrets are included in this work:  the balloons symbolize the dream of escape; the owl again symbolizes wisdom, of knowing and seeing all; the elephants represent memory and those that chronicle the truths of life.  The death angel has the welcoming face of a grandmother yet her body is final, unforgiving, rigid, like a statue as death is final and even at times, welcomed and approachable.   The entire scene takes place at the deep blue of night when our dreams speak to us. 

 

Book Cover, "Jesse," by Author Rodd Clark

201374B.jpg

My work above is the book cover for author Rodd Clark's most recent book, "Jesse."  Currently the book may be purchased here where you may also see a synopsis of this work.  Rodd tells me that the book will soon be available via Amazon and Barnes & Noble if you prefer those platforms.  I truly enjoyed working with Rodd through this process and am pleased (and more importantly he was, as well) with the my work.  Please share and support independent artist!

(All images used in this work are stock photography)