Pat Phillips’ paintings combine personal narratives and historical iconography to meditate on the complex relationships of race, class, labor and militarized culture in the United States. Raised in a small town of Louisiana, Phillips’ paintings are layered compositions that confront the political landscape of the 21st century. Influenced by a background as a graffiti writer, his painting surfaces are process based timelines of addition and subtraction that recall iconography of American media, cartoons, consumer culture and political violence. Through this layering, mark making and gesture, Phillips’ work addresses the violent underpinnings that continuously flow through American culture to create an assemblage of the Black American experience in contemporary society.