Monograph 'Negation of the Universe' surveys Richard Phillips's hyper-realist career from 1996 to 2014

Rizzoli has published a comprehensive monograph on hyper-realist painter Richard Phillips, titled 'Negation of the Universe', covering his career from 1996 onward. The book includes nearly all of Phillips's works, from his breakout 1996 show at Edward Thorp Gallery to recent experiments with sculpture and film, making it almost a catalogue raisonné. Phillips, born in 1962, is known for large-scale oil paintings that replicate photographic or cinematic source material, often depicting celebrities, fashion imagery, and pornographic content, with recent focus on Lindsay Lohan and Sasha Grey. The monograph features gallery and museum installation shots to convey scale, such as 'Vote Mitt Romney' (2012) shown at the Rauschenberg Foundation. It also includes Phillips's references to other artists, like Pierre Huyghe and Philippe Parreno's 'No Ghost Just a Shell' in 'Ann Lee' (2002) and Jeff Koons's sculptures in 'Jacko (After Jeff Koons)' (1998) and 'Pre-Banality' (2007). An interview by Beatrix Ruf, director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and an essay by German philosopher Marcus Steinweg are part of the book. Phillips's work has sparked debate over its objectification of women and perceived meaninglessness, though some view it as akin to classical history painting. Published in 2014 by Rizzoli in New York, the 288-page volume costs $85 and includes ISBN 978-0-8478-4390-9.