On September 24th we hosted our second art show, featuring the works of the Brooklyn-based illustrator Phil Ashworth. The seven-piece solo exhibition was inspired by Phil’s cross-country trip from New York to Colorado, and was developed in 2021 over the few months of isolation while he was sheltering in place:

"The pieces have been influenced by my personal experience with American culture and landscapes over the past few years. It started with the triptych "I Won't be Needing You Anymore" and my thoughts about appropriation – how the modern man views himself and how toxic traits are romanticized and emulated. 

Months after my 2019 road trip from NY to Colorado Covid limited my view of landscapes to the movies I was watching while sheltering in place. By 2021, I started thinking about a series, drawing on my longing to travel and see expansive landscapes again, and imagining the neon signs depicting the American media culture I was experiencing on the internet and in social situations. 

The pieces in this show express my view of America’s journey on its own ‘road trip’, and the neon billboards advertise what the country is collectively grappling with.”