Daytripping (Dyptych) | Phil Dunn
2 Panel Original
This piece was featured in the 2025 Neighborhood Show Exhibition. The Neighborhood Show is an annual event at Smalter Gallery that showcases work by artists living and working within walking distance of the gallery, located at the heart of Kansas City’s West 39th Street neighborhood.
About The Artist:
“I am a self- taught artist. I graduated with a degree in film and video production in the early 90’s but I didn’t find painting until much later in life. I started painting and working with resin as a form of therapy. I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity early in my art career to work on several large scale projects around Kansas City for Society, The Uptown Theater and The Fall among others.
I am drawn to the ambiguous nature of abstraction. There is a freedom to painting organically and letting the subject matter present itself to me through mark making. I consider myself a “blue collar” artist in that I value destruction as much as construction. I often use nontraditional tools such as masonry trowels, putty knives, scrapers and sandpaper, along with my brushes and palette knives. I try as often as possible to use materials taken from job sites of the construction jobs I work on. Scrap wood, doors, cabinetry, cardboard, anything that I can reclimate into a useful surface.
Often, I finish my work in resin. Resin provides a crystal-clear finish that adds magnification and clarity. Resin makes the colors I use jump back to life giving the appearance of wet paint. I am open to all mediums in service to each particular piece I create, utilizing acrylics, inks, collage and found or repurposed objects I view art as a conversation.
My work is a physical manifestation of seeking a connection. A connection to the natural world, the technological world, to myself and to each other. I enjoy creating work that has a meditative quality in that it often continues to reveal itself with prolonged viewing. My aesthetic combines elements of abstraction and surrealism. My love for abstraction is deeply rooted in the unspoken conversation between the artist and the viewer. Perception is uniquely individual and malleable…and fun to mess with.”
- Phil Dunn
Daytripping (Dyptych) | Phil Dunn
2 Panel Original
This piece was featured in the 2025 Neighborhood Show Exhibition. The Neighborhood Show is an annual event at Smalter Gallery that showcases work by artists living and working within walking distance of the gallery, located at the heart of Kansas City’s West 39th Street neighborhood.
About The Artist:
“I am a self- taught artist. I graduated with a degree in film and video production in the early 90’s but I didn’t find painting until much later in life. I started painting and working with resin as a form of therapy. I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity early in my art career to work on several large scale projects around Kansas City for Society, The Uptown Theater and The Fall among others.
I am drawn to the ambiguous nature of abstraction. There is a freedom to painting organically and letting the subject matter present itself to me through mark making. I consider myself a “blue collar” artist in that I value destruction as much as construction. I often use nontraditional tools such as masonry trowels, putty knives, scrapers and sandpaper, along with my brushes and palette knives. I try as often as possible to use materials taken from job sites of the construction jobs I work on. Scrap wood, doors, cabinetry, cardboard, anything that I can reclimate into a useful surface.
Often, I finish my work in resin. Resin provides a crystal-clear finish that adds magnification and clarity. Resin makes the colors I use jump back to life giving the appearance of wet paint. I am open to all mediums in service to each particular piece I create, utilizing acrylics, inks, collage and found or repurposed objects I view art as a conversation.
My work is a physical manifestation of seeking a connection. A connection to the natural world, the technological world, to myself and to each other. I enjoy creating work that has a meditative quality in that it often continues to reveal itself with prolonged viewing. My aesthetic combines elements of abstraction and surrealism. My love for abstraction is deeply rooted in the unspoken conversation between the artist and the viewer. Perception is uniquely individual and malleable…and fun to mess with.”
- Phil Dunn
Fulfillment Note: This piece is currently only available for gallery pickup. You may order online and pick up your order at the gallery.
