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WHO'S COMING TO DALLAS IN APRIL? C onsider this chat an intrinsic introduction to the major art explosion that accompanies this year's Dallas Art Fair (April 10 – 13), the anchor for Dallas Art Week. Beloved by many, American artist Richard Phillips arrives in April to translate his expertise to the post of artistic director at the MTV Re:Define art gala Friday, April 4, followed by his first solo museum exhibition opening April 11 ("Richard Phillips: Negation of the Universe," through August 10) — both at the Dallas Contemporary. Pop-cultural phenomena juxtaposed with traditional oil-painting methods dominate his large- scale works, which toy with sexuality, politics, celebrities and consumerism. His career has progressed through alternative mediums, with projects ranging from filmmaking (his first, the "motion portrait" Lindsay Lohan in 2011) to a commission from Playboy last June to produce a controversial outdoor sculpture, Playboy Marfa, 2013 (an installation on Highway 90 in Marfa, Texas). His works have featured up-close and personal renditions of Miley Cyrus, Leonardo DiCaprio, Taylor Swift and Lindsay Lohan; locally, his pieces have been collected by the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and privately by Derek and Christen Wilson. So, what makes this contemporary painter such a pop commodity? Peter Doroshenko, executive director of the Dallas Contemporary, explores. DOROSHENKO: WHAT IS YOUR ARTISTIC VISION WORKING ON THE MTV RE:DEFINE EVENT? Phillips: Genesis Breyer P-Orridge recently stated, "We are not musicians making art; we are artists making everything." My vision for MTV Re:Define involves this concept of art as our primary language at the intersection of the irreducible core of rock 'n' roll. HOW WILL THIS RELATE TO YOUR PERSONAL INTERESTS AND STUDIO WORK? Music and sound are an important part of my working process. I'm inspired by the music being made in New York right now by bands like Starred and DIIV. Going to see their shows, listening to their music while I paint, and watching their videos all factor into a feeling that contributes to being alive in our moment. From this starting point, anything is possible. YOU HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH DALLAS. DOES THIS ADD PRESSURE TO CREATING A SUCCESSFUL VIBE FOR MTV RE:DEFINE? Dallas has a great tradition as a focal point in this country for creative work in all areas. No matter where one is, there is always pressure to excel. This pressure is important because it pushes artists to go beyond intentionality and functionalized presentation. Rock 'n' roll at its essence creates its own pressure and pushes back 100 times harder than these perceived external forces. WHAT BANDS OR MUSIC CAN WE EXPECT TO HEAR DURING THE EVENT? We are very excited to present two of the most important rock 'n' roll bands playing right now from New York City. All will be revealed on the night. A WEEK AFTER MTV RE:DEFINE, YOU OPEN YOUR FIRST MAJOR MUSEUM EXHIBITION IN THE U.S. AT DALLAS CONTEMPORARY. WHAT CAN VISITORS EXPECT TO SEE? A selected group of works of mine, spanning my career from 1996 to the PHOTO COURTESY GAGOSIAN GALLERY PHOTO COURTESY DEREK & CHRISTEN WILSON PHOTO COURTESY GAGOSIAN GALLERY PHOTO COURTESY GAGOSIAN GALLERY POP QUIZ: BY PETER DOROSHENKO, MAX TROWBRIDGE. PORTRAIT RICHARD PHILLIPS STUDIO. Richard Phillips' Playboy Marfa, 2013 MUSIC AND SOUND ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY WORKING PROCESS. I'M INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC BEING MADE IN NEW YORK RIGHT NOW BY BANDS LIKE STARRED AND DIIV. Richard Phillips Richard Phillips' Message Force Multiplier, 2009 Richard Phillips' Nuclear, 1997 Richard Phillips' Christen, 2007 present. The mediums of oil painting, film and sculpture will all be deployed together for the first time to present an exhibition that is appropriately titled "Negation of the Universe." YOU ALSO HAVE A HUGE COLLECTOR BASE IN DALLAS. WILL SOME OF THESE LOCALLY BASED PAINTINGS BE IN YOUR EXHIBITION? I am hoping to have as many of the locally collected works in the exhibition as possible. I am grateful to the Dallas community for being so supportive over my career, and I look forward to the opportunity to bring everything together. TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, IT WILL BE RICHARD PHILLIPS WEEK IN DALLAS. HOW WILL THAT BECOME PART OF YOUR WORK PROCESS FOR THE FUTURE? Every time I make an exhibition, it influences the following body of work. With an exhibition that covers the different phases of my work, it affords the opportunity to see the broader trajectory of what I've been working on. Having this experience for the first time in an American context, and particularly in Dallas, can't help but be an important perspective to achieve for future developments. Let's see what it brings …