Tiger 1965

Peter Phillips created “Tiger” by screen printing, a process capable of producing exact repetitions. Notice how the colors of the gradient bars are vivid and smooth. Phillips used this process to create his own distinct aesthetic of mass production; by appropriating techniques from commercial printing he questions what we consider to be art. The tiger motif also plays with notions of exoticism, luxury, and danger, all readily commodified and consumed in popular culture. The background pattern of triangles amplifies the sense of artifice, a geometric abstraction that flattens space and emphasizes the image's constructed nature. By embracing industrial techniques, Phillips challenges traditional notions of artistic skill. This is a bold statement about the changing relationship between art, industry, and consumerism in the modern world.