Phil Hale

 

American born painter/illustrator Phil Hale's list of accomplishments includes major works for Stephen King, Playboy, and Spectrum, in addition to a 2008 commission to paint a portrait of former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Characterised by cyclical periods of intense activity followed by relative obscurity, the formal qualities of Hale's work typify a commitment to paint's potential in description of the human form; brush strokes clearly visible, openly acknowledging the materiality of his chosen medium. Depictions of violence - often self-inflicted - make transgressive fiction a regular feature of Hale's paintings, which feature an enviable command of light's relationship to form, including the sharp contrast acheived through the implementation of chiaroscuro. Careful selection of point of focus effortlessly establish a visual hierarchy, inviting prolonged contemplation of each work's self-contained narrative. Hale's paintings are fractured plots offering vague descriptions of apparent significance. Where consequence is shown the inciting act is largely absent, and vice-versa, resulting in ambiguous snapshots  requiring active engagement on behalf of the viewer. Hale explores the limitless potential found in a single moment, the transformative power of choice, an inevitability punctuated by consequence, relentlessly reconfiguring an individual's perspective.

A brief review of Hale's book Urge Ourselves Under can be found here, and a pretty comprehensive interview here.