RICHARD PHILLIPS _ NUCLEAR SURFBOARD SERIES

Tuscany —Materia Prima Art Foundation and Vetrina Gallery excitedly present Richard Phillips’ Nuclear I, Nuclear II and Nuclear III—a collection of surfboards painted for 11-time World Champion surfer, Kelly Slater. Inspired by three of Richards’ original works—Nuclear, Bourgeoisie and Awake Into Myth—each ridable work of art was exclusively designed for Slater to ride in the 2017 film, PROXIMITY—a full-length cinematic journey across the globe, directed by Taylor Steele.

A prolific contemporary artist celebrated for his vibrant large-scale paintings, Phillips’ work often illuminates his viewers on social, political and popular culture from a uniquely explorative and critical angle—and his Nuclear series is no different. 

Using a spectacular display of color to depict the nuclear activity present in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958—the same region Slater rides the boards in the film—each board creates an irradiated world where the power of feminine beauty and physicality is directly set against and immersed within the historical images of geopolitical conflict that foreshadow the lasting damage to the experimental territory.