There is nothing unusual about the creative tendency to make pain the catalyst for great work, but there is something unique about the unflinching brutality depicted in Tom Phillips’ expressive imagery. An artist who refuses to shy away from difficult subjects and discussions his work may inspire, Phillips takes a thematic approach to his work that allows the viewer a confronting level of access to his innermost contemplations and responses to his life’s experiences.
Using aggressive brushwork and an ominous colour palette, he provides a raw and unrelenting look at male culture and the human condition, and his personal level of discomfort and distress during times of emotional fragility. In Between the Clock and Bed, Churchill’s savage black dog is readily identifiable as a cruel and merciless tormentor, creating a palpable tension throughout the works. This is no ‘man’s best friend’ kind of canine. Instead of providing companionship and support, he offers only hostility and despair.
Carrie McCarthy
