Samual Elliot Phillips is an American artist whose practice merges classical Americana imagery with the fervor of punk counterculture and the introspection of poetry. Raised in a small rural town outside Burlington, Vermont, Phillips was first encouraged to pursue art by his mother. As a sensitive child, he found solace in the dual fantasy of his drawings and the mythos of American history-expressing himself through writing and sketching as a way to reconcile imagination with lived experience.
Phillips' work evolved into a semi-political, punk-informed style that reflects both a hunger for justice and an admiration for the rebellious spirit woven into the American narrative. Working primarily in mixed media, he often sketches and improvises directly onto canvas. His use of practice materials on a large scale evokes a raw, defiant energy-emphasizing immediacy over polish. With a restrained palette and direct compositions, his works resist over-interpretation; they exist as striking, unapologetic statements. The use of charcoal adds a coarse, natural texture that grounds each piece in both brutality and honesty.