James Williams-Statement
James Williams II
Art | Video | Statement | Resume
Statement
My work explores the experiences of childhood, at once personal and universal. I am creating a story set in the United States during the 1930’s, centered on the protagonist Little Rooster, a young energetic boy who lives with his mother and father. It is through his bodyguard, Red Rooster, that he learns how to fulfill the role of a hero.
I connect with the past through imagery inspired by artifacts from popular culture: vintage comic books, their bright color palettes and stylized figures; newspaper advertisements, selling items with distinctly dated promises; and finally, children books, with their lasting moral lessons.
The approach of my work is not to remake vintage elements but to transform them into my own meaningful world. My oil paintings invoke a sense of dramatic intrigue and reveal my appreciation for contemporary figure painting.
I narrate stories that depict personal moments or experiences in my life. It is through my work that I express my thoughts, my desires, my feelings and my fears. My paintings of Little Rooster parallel many scenarios from my life. Despite his longing to remain a child, events force him to confront the burdens of adulthood. An adult often sees the world as gray and monotonous, but a child sees color and endless possibilities.
Elsa Gebreyesus – Bio
Biography
Elsa Gebreyesus lived in Ethiopia, Kenya, and United States before going on to receive her BA from Brock University in Ontario, Canada. After Eritrea won its independence from Ethiopia, she lived there for five years, working as a Project Officer with an indigenous women’s organization. After leaving Eritrea, she came to the U. S. where she’s been pursuing her career and her lifelong passion for art.
In addition to her work and art, she also volunteers with organizations involved with human rights issues especially in Africa. She continues to learn from artists she admires and has been greatly influenced by modernist painters from both Africa and the West.
Elsa Gebreyesus currently lives with her husband and two children in Fairfax, VA.
Elsa Gebreyesus
Each of my paintings starts with a loose sketch, landscape or object and is built up with layer upon layer of paint. Often it will be in a state of chaos before the process of adding and subtracting begins. I do not start with an end in mind when I begin a painting, instead the challenge is to find the end. This process to me is a type of meditation – an intimate conversation between the materials and myself.
I am drawn to abstract compositions because they require us to stop and reflect, to ask questions. Abstract art is also open to multiple interpretations. Each viewer will bring his or her own experiences into play as they contemplate the work.
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James Williams
James Williams II
Art | Video | Statement | Resume
My work explores the experiences of childhood, at once personal and universal. I am creating a story set in the United States during the 1930’s, centered on the protagonist Little Rooster, a young energetic boy who lives with his mother and father. It is through his bodyguard, Red Rooster, that he learns how to fulfill the role of a hero.
I connect with the past through imagery inspired by artifacts from popular culture: vintage comic books, their bright color palettes and stylized figures; newspaper advertisements, selling items with distinctly dated promises; and finally, children books, with their lasting moral lessons.
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