Meet some of the talented artists on The Phillips Collection’s staff, whose works are in the 2023 James McLaughlin Memorial Staff Show (on view through February 16, 2024).

Museum Assistant Jeff Whitelow, who is also part of the museum’s AV team, shares the pivotal influence of The Phillips Collection on his piece Werk N Flux in the Staff Show.

Jeff Whitelow, Werk N Flux, Photograph

There are three works from the collection that directly influenced Werk N Flux: Aaron Siskind’s Martha’s Vineyard 107B, 1954, Alma Thomas’s Breeze Rustling Through Fall Flowers, 1968, and Irene Rice Pereira’s Transversion, 1946.

Aaron Siskind, Martha’s Vineyard 107 B, 1954/printed ca.1980-1984, Gelatin silver print, 36 x 50 in., The Phillips Collection, Gift of the Phillips Contemporaries, 2003

I first noticed Siskind’s work when The Phillips Collection had the exhibition Aaron Siskind New Relationships in Photography in 2004. Siskind started out doing pretty much straight forward black-and-white documentary style photography of street scenes but gradually turned toward abstraction under the influence of the New York school of Abstract Expressionism. I, too, started out with photographing street scenes using black-and-white film. What influenced me from this work is his close-ups emphasizing textures of decaying walls in the city and painterly patterns he would get in his pictures. I also was inspired by how this hyper-focus on details led to a new image independent of the initial starting point. This work showed me how to zero in on surface textures in a creative way. As of this writing Martha’s Vineyard isn’t hanging in the galleries but is on permanent display magnetically on my refrigerator door and temporarily displayed as background wallpaper on my laptop.

Alma Thomas, Breeze Rustling Through Fall Flowers, 1968, Acrylic on canvas 57 7/8 x 50 in., The Phillips Collection, Gift of Franz Bader, 1976

The second work is Alma Thomas’s Breeze Rustling Through Fall Flowers. A number of people have pointed out to me similarities between Alma Thomas’s work and my piece for the staff show. What attracts me to her is her vibrant use of color which seems to be the opposite of what Siskind was doing. I’ve been exposed to her work the longest. I first saw her work when I was a teenager at GWU’s Dimock Gallery. I can definitely relate to her abstractions of the world around her as a means of self- expression. I also enjoy her use of mosaic like patterns in this work.

Irene Rice Pereira, Transversion, 1946, Ceramic fluid, porcelain cement, oil paint on two planes of corrugated glass mounted on hardboard and wood, 13 1/2 x 15 3/4 in., The Phillips Collection, Acquired 1949

Last but not least is Irene Rice Pereira’s Transversion. This is more of a technical influence due to this work being made on glass. I find the layering of images pretty captivating. Right now I’m having my photographic images printed onto glass with no matting or framing allowing the work to operate on a sculptural level as well as simplifying the display process. This work opened up options to me about display and presentation. The art in the collection is a continual influence.

Meet some of the talented artists on The Phillips Collection’s staff, whose works are in the 2023 James McLaughlin Memorial Staff Show (on view through February 16, 2024).

Adam Odomore, Photo by Stephanie Duruji 

What is your role at The Phillips Collection? What is something interesting about your job?

I work as a Museum Assistant. One of the most interesting parts of my job is the connections I get to make working with and supporting the public. In my role, I help visitors have memorable experiences by giving them insights on the collection and work on view that they otherwise wouldn’t know and that feels like a private experience. I also enjoy learning about art and artists through my work there.

Simone Leigh, No Face (Crown Heights), 2018

Who is your favorite artist in the collection?
My favorite artist in the collection right now is Simone Leigh.

What is your favorite space within The Phillips Collection?
I really enjoy the second-floor Annex for its intimacy and greater availability of diverse works in the collection.

What would you like people to know about your artwork on view in the 2024 Staff Show (or your work in general)?‘

On view at staff show: Moon Queen, Queen of Light, 2022

“She carries her home with her. The Source of her resistance. She had proven herself to herself. But she wanted more.”—Marita Golden

Conveying a quiet impenetrable interiority, this work is tactile texture in conceptual portrait or portraiture. Formal in its experimentation, yet fluid in its representation, portioning out a combination of intimacy and inaccessibility. Presenting a portrait that exist both everywhere, and nowhere in particular as a way to investigate the multilayered notions of identity and visibility.

This is especially in a moment when conversations around the policing of Black bodies in public spaces is still something we talk about. This work is an exploration of the body as a site (records keeper, memory box) of remembrance/ resistance/ rest/ re-imagination within a social-political/ economical geography. In it, there’s a commitment to reinforcing “a different kind of gaze (and gazing) enacted through empathy, desire, love, connectedness, and longing,” to borrow language from artist zakkiyyah najeebah dumas o’neal about her work.

Odomore next to his piece at Hillyer Arts Center, Photo by Devin Thompson

About the artist:

Adam Odomore is an artist-archivist engaged in “preservation as a form of futurism,” a researcher, writer, and curator—a memory worker of African and African American art, photography, and culture. His interests lie at the intersection of art as it relates to memory and representation (of the self and the communal), rest and healing, sensuality, gender, and race.

Documenting the ordinary and the extraordinary—taking control of the narrative and amplifying Black voices, histories, legacies, dreams, and futures, he uses collage as a painterly medium merging with paint, mixed media and photography, photomontage, and a signature of works incorporating African forms and images of Black people.

Typically autobiographical in nature, his artistic practice and curatorial work depict a relatability on his personal journey as an artist and a Black being. Adam’s work has been shown at The Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory, The Falls Church Arts Gallery, and at Hill Center in Washington, DC.

Meet some of the talented artists on The Phillips Collection’s staff, whose works are in the 2023 James McLaughlin Memorial Staff Show (on view through February 16, 2024).

Amity Chan with her artwork on view in the Staff Show

What is your role at The Phillips Collection? Are there any unique or interesting parts about your job that most people might not know about?

I have been a part of the Phillips family for almost two years now. Currently, I serve as the Advancement Communications and Research Associate in the Advancement Department. Prior to this, I worked as a Museum Assistant from 2022.

One interesting aspect of being a museum professional is that, despite working in the museum every day, I actually don’t get to spend a lot of time seeing the exhibitions! However, I am determined to dedicate more time to our next exhibition, Bonnard’s Worlds.

Who is your favorite artist in the collection?

Renée Stout, Elegba (Spirit of the Crossroads), 2015–19, The Phillips Collection, Gift of the artist and Hemphill Gallery, 2019

Renée Stout! As an artist who likes to experiment with a variety of mediums and materials, her multi-media approach in her works has deeply influenced me. I’m always excited to see what her creativity leads to next.

What is your favorite space within The Phillips Collection?

Definitely Galleries 115 and 116, where we have hosted the “Intersections” exhibition series featuring living and local artists. The tall ceiling in the space provides an opportunity for artists to experiment with innovative layouts and scales. The sun-filled room also adds a sense of liveliness, complementing the fact that these artists are living and working!

Linling Lu’s Soundwaves Intersections project in Gallery 116, spring 2023

What would you like people to know about your artwork on view in the 2024 Staff Show (or your work in general)?

On view in the Staff Show: Be Safe, My Friend, 2019

On view in the Staff Show: Handcuffs, 2019

Thanks for checking out my artwork! For me, art is a fantastic way to connect authentically with people, bridging gaps like language barriers, cultural differences, and physical distances. The messages in my art are deeply personal and emotional. Though the use of bold colors was not intentional, they organically reflected the intensity of my feelings at those moments.

In Be safe, my friend, I wanted to express my deep concerns for the Hong Kong pro-democracy supporters who were experiencing police brutality during the Anti-Extradition Law Protests in 2019. The print is inspired by “Fai Chun,” a traditional Chinese decoration used during Lunar New Year. This specific Fai Chun is meant to bring good luck to the household. Despite being far away from home, I still hope to bring good luck and safety to my fellow freedom fighters in Hong Kong. Handcuffs is a print series made to criticize the ongoing arrests of the Hong Kong pro-democracy supporters.

I’m always intrigued by what people experience when they see my works. Do they feel the emotions I poured into them? What catches their eye, or maybe what doesn’t? If you would like to share your experience with me, feel free to contact me at amitychan0509@gmail.com or on Instagram @emm.axz!

About the artist:

Amity Chan is a D.C-based multimedia artist and activist from Hong Kong. Combining art and activism, Chan aims to raise a greater awareness of human rights concerns in her home country. Chan’s works have been exhibited internationally including The Phillips Collection, Studio Gallery, Torpedo Factory Arts Center, Studio Arts College International, and the Maryland Institute College of Art. In 2021, Chan sought asylum in the U.S. due to raising concerns of prosecution for her use of art and protest. Despite uncertainties, she remains vocal through art and the emerging Hong Kong diaspora in the U.S. In 2023, she received the Jennie Lea Knight Fellowship from Studio Gallery. She also participated in the Hong Kong Summit, organized by the Hong Kong Democracy Council, where she connected with global diasporic organizers, human rights defenders, and U.S. Congress representatives. Chan also works as a Gallery Assistant at IA&A at Hillyer.