Joel Phillips was born in Midland, Texas. He grew up drawing horses and cowboys, and knew at a very young age that he was going to become an artist. Joel’s parents were encouraging and helpful in every way. When his family moved to California, he was introduced to a lineage of beautiful horsemanship that continues to inspire him and plays a central role in his imagery. Joel graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in painting, and his work has been featured in solo exhibitions at the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, Texas; the Museum of Abilene, Texas; and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum. Additionally, he has had solo gallery exhibitions, as well as participating in numerous western art shows throughout the nation, including such venues as the Gilcrease Museum; the Autry Museum of Western Heritage; the Pasadena Museum of Art; and the Pasadena Historical Museum. Joel has also been featured in a number of fine publications, including Western Horseman; Art of the West; Southwest Art; Art Talk; Equine Vision; and American Cowboy.

Vision

One of my primary goals as a painter is to find material expression for the encounters I have with Beauty. When I witness a skillful horseman gracefully taking his turns around the horn or “Dar La Vuelta”, I am struck by the way it points to the circular turning of the seasons, or the “wrapping of the earth around the sun”. An elegant mare with her bucking colt on a Spring afternoon prompts me to consider the promise of youth and the grand circle of nature. For me, the ultimate goal is to engage the old, eternal Truths inherent in ranching. I believe there is a rhythm to the cowboy life that is pretty ancient and sacred. I seek to express meaningful correlations found at the intersection of humankind’s linear existence on this earth and the spectacular, cyclical, renewing strength of nature. Whether Cowpuncher, Buckaroo, or Vaquero, a profound relationship with the land and its seasons, embodies existence and meaning. The American West provides endless inspiration for my specific goal of linking form and content, horse and heaven. Stylistically, I am indebted to the great masters of the Baroque. Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and Vermeer, among others, have provided important, sustained, inspiration and guidance. Edward Borein, Frank Tenney Johnson, Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, and others, have continued to serve as important resources, particularly in their various approaches to documenting, as well as supplying icons and archetypes of this mysterious and intriguing American West.

Selected Publications

Western Horseman
Art Of The West
Art Of The West Special Beauty
Southwest Art
Equine Visions Magazine
Art Talk
Museum Of The Southwest Magazine