In the 1980’s and 90’s McPhail’s work focused primarily on drawing, often with pencil crayon on a polyester film called mylar. After moving to Hamilton in 2005, his interest shifted towards three dimensional work and performance. In his accumulative, craft oriented practice he uses ephemeral, disposable materials such as band aids, Kleenex and post-its and textiles to create large installations and performances. He has exhibited nationally and internationally and in 2013 was the recipient of the Canada Council International Studio in Paris. In 2021 he was a recipient of the Hamilton Arts Award for Fine Arts. He is also cofounder, with Stephen Altena, of the Hundred Dollar Gallery and a founding member of The Assembly in Hamilton, Ontario.
“TEXTiles/THIS IS NOT AN AIDS QUILT is at once a call to action and an admission of defeat, an attempt to give voice to the sense of vigour and weariness which fill my days. The laborious materiality of applying thousands of sequins by hand to used bed sheets and the tenacity required for such a futile endeavour satisfies the ambiguity I feel after twenty-five years of living with HIV.”
