Twelve works in charcoal, chalk, and pastel, taking Oscar nominees as subjects, mark Richard Phillips’ return to celebrity portraiture on view at the SERGE SOROKKO GALLERY in Napa. Richard Phillips: Best Picture includes his complete 2024 series drawn from found imagery and features intimate portraits of Margot Robbie, Cillian Murphy, Leonardo DiCaprio, Greta Lee, Emily Blunt, Ryan Gosling, Jacob Elordi, and Lily Gladstone.
This artwork was created nearly 15 years after his Most Wanted series, derived from step-and-repeat shots, examined the rehearsed construction of celebrity culture against branded backdrops. The new drawings, shown in the U.S. for the first time, continue to play on the artist’s exploration and scrutiny of image construction and the ways famous subjects are framed and viewed.
Visible grids across each work anchor the precise dimensions of each face and remind viewers that the portraits, which first appear photographic, are created by hand. Through Oct. 31. 1301 First St., Napa, 415-421-7770; sorokko.com. E.V.
