Artist credits Bruni with influencing his work
By Shari Kaplan
If art is a reflection of the artist, then Ron Phillips' exhibition in the Los Gatos Town Council Chambers offers a clear view of what makes his artwork uniquely his. Rather than being known for one favorite style or predominant theme, Phillips has very eclectic tastes in art that are also revealed in his exhibit.
"When people ask about my influences, I can't name just one. Whoever I like or learn from, I get influenced by them. It stays exciting that way," says Phillips, who graduated from the High School of Art and Design in New York and studied at the San Francisco Academy of Art. "Bruni was a great influence on me. I also like a lot of the works of contemporary graphic artists."
Bruni is, of course, Bruni Sablan, who for many years painted and exhibited at her Old Town Gallery in Los Gatos' Old Town shopping center, before the center's renovation. She now works in Campbell.
Anyone familiar with the bold brush strokes and flying colors of Bruni's works, especially those of her continuing Jazz Masters' Series, will find familiarity in Phillips' Lovers, a large, colorful canvas depicting a dark-haired couple in the midst of a romantic kiss. Two other such pieces include Bogie, a portrait of Humphrey Bogart with his usual melancholy air, and Blue Miles, a tribute to Miles Davis that catches the great trumpeter in a moment of passionate music.
Phillips can also shift gears to portray people with crisp realism, as he does with Liz Taylor. Here, he offers a head and shoulders image of Taylor in her more glamorous days, wearing a gleaming emerald and diamond necklace, engulfed in a fluffy while stole. In his largest canvas, Tut, Watching You, Phillips has rendered the boy-king Tutankhamen in such a way that the deep black eyes of his golden funeral mask seem to follow the viewer throughout the Council Chambers.
Still lifes and flowers show Phillips' softer side, especially in Still Life--Tulips, in which both themes meld together, or in Still Life with Nectarine, in which one of the luscious summer fruits sits on a colorful tablecloth beside an equally colorful floral spray. His favorite flower seems to be the sunflower, since these fill several of his paintings. The most unique is Sunflowers 'Hi,' which depicts three of the cheerful flowers near the bottom of the painting and one rising high above them on its strong green stalk. The position of its leaves further add to its appearance of jumping up and waving.
Phillips is equally comfortable portraying outdoor scenes and landscapes. Moored Gondolas is reminiscent of an old postcard from Venice, while Casteneda's Playground is a striking view of a cacti-filled desert at night, awash in warm southwestern colors. Even animals find their way onto his canvasses, such as the roly-poly panda bear chomping on bamboo in Potsticker and the equines in Zebra Brothers, which are unusual with their usually white stripes instead accented by an array of soft iridescent colors.
"I started doing acrylics because they were quicker, more flexible and water-soluble. My attention span is about one second long, so I like acrylics," Phillips says, chuckling. "I also like how if you make a mistake, you can wait for it to dry, put a coat of gesso (a white foundation paint) over it, and try again!"
Art in the Council Chambers is an ongoing program presented by the Los Gatos Arts Commission. Ron Phillips' exhibition runs through Aug. 25. The Los Gatos Town Council Chambers are located downstairs in the Civic Center, 110 E. Main St. If the chambers are locked, inquire at the Planning Department.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
