Select-o-Mat Corolla 1972

"Select-o-Mat Corolla," by Peter Phillips is a print of layered imagery and clashing colors, a real mash-up of industrial and everyday objects. The way he combines the mechanical with the chromatic makes me think about how we assemble our world from disparate parts. There’s a real tension here, like the whole image is fighting to stay together, but also pushing outward, exploding. Look at those color charts hovering in the top left, their neat grid patterns contrasting with the car parts, rubber rings and cubes of color. They make me think about the difference between the world of abstraction, and our everyday lives. It’s like a visual argument between order and chaos, mass production and pure color. Think about artists like Richard Hamilton, who was interested in similar ideas. But ultimately, Phillips is his own man, creating something vibrant and strange and utterly unique. It leaves you questioning what art is, and what it can be.