Joel Daniel Phillips - "Killing The Negative Pt. 4"

Hashimoto Contemporary is pleased to present Killing The Negative Pt. 4 ,  a solo exhibition by Oklahoma-based artist Joel Daniel Phillips. The exhibition will be Philips' sixth solo presentation at Hashimoto Contemporary, and features a continuation of his ongoing series of Killed Negatives — drawings and paintings in response to censored government photographs from the Great Depression.

Grappling with race, class, the environment and stratified socio-economic issues, Killing the Negative Pt. 4 is a meditative response to a selection of Government censored photographs commissioned by the Farm Security Administration (FSA) during the Great Depression.  Comprised of meticulously rendered charcoal and graphite drawings and oil paintings, the exhibition serves to bring the conversation of truth to the foreground, commenting on the veracity of the historical record. Phillips’ work centers around questions of historical amnesia, and the accuracy of the stories we tell ourselves about our collective pasts. 

In addition to the exhibition, Phillips will be debuting his newest publication: Killing the Negative, A Conversation in Art & Verse, by poet Quraysh Ali Lansana and Joel Daniel Phillips. Published by Left Field Books, the hardcover volume features a collaborative art and poetry conversation engaging with the hole-punched ("killed") negatives of WPA photographers such as Walker Evans, Arthur Rothstein, and Ben Shahn.

Featured poets include Lansana, former National Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green, and Randall Horton.

Please join Phillips and the poets for a book launch, signing and discussion a few blocks from the gallery at P&T Knitwear from 3pm  to 5pm, followed by the opening night gallery reception. Book Launch details can be found here.

Please join us Saturday, October 14th from 6pm to 8pm for the opening at Hashimoto Contemporary. The artist will be in attendance. 

The exhibition will be on view Saturday, October 14th to Saturday, November 4th. For more information, additional images, or exclusive content, please email Director, Jennifer Rizzo at jenn@hashimotocontemporary.com