This new collection of gay art by Joe Phillips (available at Amazon) is in fact the new version of a 2003 book, which contained calendar art done by the artist at that date. Publisher Bruno Gmünder now offers a collection of calendar art from 2001 to 2006, which means you get about a hundred drawings by Phillips, a big treat in itself.
|
|
With this large collection, we have the opportunity of seeing how Phillips’s art has evolved over that period: it seems less cartoony and tends to photo-realism, which, depending on your tastes in art, you’ll appreciate or not. What largely remains is the ambiance of the drawings: full of life and humor, focusing on friendship, love and tenderness more than sex itself, it’s decidedly different from a lot of gay-specific art. Phillips also keeps on showing young men of varied ethnicities, some obviously gay, some less so.
Joe Phillips has by now firmly established himself as an important gay artist, with an optimistic point of view and lush artwork, and this book should only confirm that reputation.
Amazon shop
Facebook page
Tumblr page