Fine Art | jasonphillips

Click to enlarge.

De-ICE

mixed media
22x26 in.

"De-ICE" is a poignant three-dimensional mixed-media piece that critiques the impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations on immigrant communities in Minnesota. Combining elements of assemblage, sculpture, and painting, the artwork visually articulates the chilling effect of enforcement and the powerful, unified resistance that emerges in response.

The upper portion of the piece, rendered in clear cast resin, serves as a powerful metaphor for the concept of "freezing." ICE agent badges, an authentic ICE officer patch, scattered shell casings, and tear gas canisters are suspended within the icy medium. These physical symbols of law enforcement authority, weaponry, and crowd control are literally and figuratively "frozen in time." The resin layer visually communicates the idea of ICE creating a rigid, impenetrable barrier and imposing an atmosphere of surveillance and control. Small specks of red material further symbolize the blood, trauma, fear, and death associated with these operations.

Contrastingly, the lower portion features a vibrant oil painting that depicts a community's resilience in the face of these oppressive forces. Rising from a scene of purple-hued Minnesota houses, a monumental central fist is rendered in fiery oranges and reds. This fist is composed of many smaller fists of varying skin tones, symbolizing an intersectional unity and collective action.

The heat generated by these united hands serves as the focal point of the piece; as the community joins together, their shared energy creates a thermal force designed to heat up and melt the ICE above. Through this juxtaposition, "De-ICE" asserts that the concentrated warmth of solidarity is the only power capable of thawing the system.

"White Washing"

mixed media
16x33 in.

“White Washing” confronts the systematic erasure of Black history and the sanitization of the American narrative. By depicting the literal “bleaching” of iconic symbols—from the Middle Passage to the Civil Rights Movement—against a backdrop of modern censorship, the work explores how political agendas actively dilute heritage to maintain a comfortable, homogenized status quo.

Death of a Party

oil on cradled wood
12x9in

"Death of a Party" is a stark and allegorical commentary on a significant moment in American political history, rendered with visceral intensity. The painting centers on the prostrate form of an elephant, the traditional symbol of the Republican Party, lying wounded and seemingly inert. This central image is immediately impactful, suggesting a party in crisis, weakened, or fundamentally altered.

Arrows pierce the elephant's hide, a classic symbol of attack or betrayal, implying internal strife or external forces that have brought it to this state. The ground beneath it, a chessboard pattern, signifies the strategic, often ruthless, nature of politics and the high stakes involved in the game of power.

In the background, under a menacing, blood-red sky that evokes a sense of peril and turmoil, stands the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building. Its presence anchors the scene firmly in the American political landscape, suggesting that the struggles depicted are central to the nation's governance and future. Flying ominously nearby is a flag emblazoned with "MAGA," a clear and direct reference to a specific political movement. This detail highlights the particular ideological battleground and the forces the artist sees as contributing to the "death" or transformation of the party.

"Death of a Party" is not merely a depiction but a critical reflection on the ideological shifts, internal divisions, and external pressures that define contemporary political identity. It invites viewers to consider the causes and consequences of such a dramatic decline, and what might emerge from its ashes. The painting serves as a somber warning and a poignant observation on the ever-evolving, often tumultuous, landscape of political power.

Oil on wood box, 12x9 in.

History Throne

oil on canvas
48x74 in.

"History Throne" is a meditation on the heavy, structural weight of the past that underpins the present moment. The subject is rendered as a monumental, deeply carved throne, set against the dramatic, regal folds of blood-red velvet. It is not merely a piece of furniture, but a visual monument dedicated to the relentless struggle for civil rights and human dignity.

The work posits that the "seat of power"—the space of earned respect, equality, and political agency—is not built from simple opulence but is meticulously carved from resistance and sacrifice. The very structure of the throne is comprised of narrative: the armrests and supports are etched with the visages of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, signifying that the present is literally held up by the conviction of historical giants. The lower frieze depicts scenes of collective struggle, from bondage to marching, establishing the shared communal journey that forms the foundational base.

Details like the "I AM A MAN" sign, referencing the sanitation workers' demand for recognition, and the wanted posters of the past are integrated directly into the wood grain. This technique forces the viewer to confront the documentation and human cost of the movement—the triumphs and the threats—as inextricable components of the national legacy.

Ultimately, "History Throne" challenges the viewer to recognize their own relationship to this lineage. The vacant seat invites contemplation: who is worthy to sit upon a history so arduously won, and what responsibility does one inherit when they claim a place on a foundation carved by the sacrifices of others? It is a piece that demands acknowledgement of the past as the essential, unmoving architecture of the future.

Limited edition fine art prints are available

Birth of a Target

oil on canvas, 23K gold leaf
71x50 in

"Birth of a Target" is a profoundly symbolic and searing exploration of inherited destiny, systemic vulnerability, and the harsh, statistical realities faced by marginalized communities in the United States. The painting captures a figure, luminous in dark skin, caught in a moment of intense, agonizing childbirth. Her face and body convey a fierce, primal resilience wrestling with devastating pain.

The work's central, chilling metaphor is the literal birth of a paper gun target, still attached to the mother by an umbilical cord. This image transforms the abstract concept of being a societal "target" into a tangible, inherited fate. It speaks to the devastating truth that for some, the very act of existence, of being born into a specific identity, immediately marks one for disproportionate scrutiny and harm.

This visceral scene is firmly grounded in the documented realities of racial profiling and the justice system. For instance, Black Americans are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of white Americans, and Black drivers are consistently more likely to be searched during traffic stops than white drivers, often on the basis of less evidence. In fatal encounters, the disparity is clearest: Black Americans, who make up about 13.4% of the population, account for 22% of fatal police shootings—a rate significantly higher than for any other group.

"Birth of a Target" is a heart-wrenching commentary on the systemic forces that determine fate, exposing the brutal cycle where the most vulnerable are born not just into the world, but into a quantifiable, dangerous destiny. It demands recognition of this statistical burden as an American reality.

"Queen of Soul"

oil on canvas, 23K gold leaf
24x24 in.
Portrait of Aretha Franklin

"Leafs, Essence"

Graphite and paper
on gold leaf and wood
8x10 in

When starting my process, I create multiple preliminary drawings, called “Essences”, on paper before selecting a composition to paint. The Essences are cut and sometimes burned at the edges before being embellished with gold leaf and mounted on a wooden panel. In some pieces the gold leaf is placed directly on the paper as well. Selected drawn compositions are then painted larger in color. Like the smaller Essences, my paintings include intricate cuts in the canvas that reveal gold leafed embellishing on the wooden panel that it is displayed on.

"Starbucks"

oil on canvas