It comes as no surprise that Philippeaux—like his painting—is a deadpan humorist. And we might even rejoice at the way he takes a sledgehammer to consumer society, approaching it with disconcerting inventiveness, refined elegance, and a dash of Dada spirit.

His artistic lineage? A generous dose of Pop—specifically the sharp, critical kind born in Europe—but also Van Gogh, Magritte, Duchamp, Picabia, Lichtenstein, Koons…

Bernard Philippeaux creates paintings that "read" in a world that constantly reads itself without us even noticing. Which is why we need a painter to teach us how to read on the second—or even third—level. Philippeaux seems to have taken on the mission of waking us up, maybe even healing us from a society built on malaise while flaunting its wellness to the entire world. If there is such a thing today as radically critical Pop Art, Philippeaux is one of its most compelling voices.

The artist is clever, resourceful, always one step ahead. There’s a rare harmony between what he intends and what he achieves.

Now, writing has joined him on his journey. His newest visual creations are rooted in social fragmentation, but also in the fraternity of all earth-dwellers—and the shifting geography of our time: climate change, desertification, rising seas that steadily creep in…

To be consumed without caution.

J.L.C.P.T.R.B.B.C.B.P