WILLIAM THOMAS

Mask (in progress)

2012-01-12T19:19:00.000-06:00

Built Forged Faked

2012-01-08T20:32:00.006-06:00

(The text below was copied from the UNC Art Department website)

Allcott Gallery Exhibition: Built Forged Faked

UNC-Chapel Hill First Year MFA Exhibition

January 10 – February 7, 2012
Exhibition reception: Jan. 10, 6-8 pm

Artists are the modern soothsayers and builders who seek insight into a complex society. They are a visual narrative. They are the cultural products they inhabit. They are the culture they critique. They are the culture they create. They are studies of space in-between, the nostalgia of places they have never been and memories of the places they want to go.

In Built Forged Faked the first year MFA students of UNC-Chapel Hill investigate unraveling narratives of identity, race, gender, geography, ritual and constructed spaces. These narratives hang from string to object, object to material, material to surface using seemingly incongruent bits of information, erasing, blurring lines of memory and emotions that cannot be jettisoned but are too cumbersome to carry. Though distinctly different in style and process each artist forges a new narrative dissolving barriers, bringing into dialogue issues of place and belonging.

From January 10th to February 7th the John and June Allcott gallery will be inhabited with string landscapes, shimmering blankets, old barns, altered and investigated bodies, natural environments, haunting lullabies, ghosts of the Great Plains, and not-so-functional objects.

Lauren Salazar transforms a section of the gallery space with her three-dimensional drawings of string. Michael Iauch’s videos explore his relationship with his environment. William Thomas examines a personal relationship with race through painting. Damian Stamer also uses paint to capture sites of rural childhood exploration. Stephen Taylor looks at the human physical and metaphysical relationship to nature through the juxtaposition of geology and transcendental philosophy. Ali Halperin investigates digital dissemination and consumption as it relates to contemporary sociological issues of gender and performance. Nicole Bauguss constructs objects from weathered parts of historical structures to address issues of accessibility and social responsibility in art making. Julia Gootzeit interprets nature, landscape, and human intervention in her two-dimensional work. George Jenne uses video to capture the illicit pleasures of adolescent quests and ruses.

Admission: Free

Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm

UNC Art Department: http://art.unc.edu/index.htm

Contact: Hong-An Truong, hatruong@email.unc.edu

Day 3

2011-12-18T19:42:00.002-06:00

Day 2

2011-12-13T17:30:00.002-06:00

My Other Mother (In Progress)

2011-12-12T17:40:00.001-06:00

Working with primary colors...(Not the title)

2011-11-11T11:59:00.004-06:00

48"x24"
Work in progress...

Self, Other, the Gaze, Representation, Abstraction, Distortion, etc...

2011-11-06T16:58:00.002-06:00

"The Stories They Tell"

2011-10-26T15:31:00.003-05:00

(That's the name of the painting)

Superman Colors

2011-10-16T18:45:00.002-05:00

Moving Forward

2011-09-19T20:02:00.003-05:00

So last week's critique was very productive. We talked about flesh, ambiguity, and Kanye West. You had to be there.

Prep Work in my new studio space

2011-09-11T15:55:00.002-05:00

It took a week or two, but I'm finally up and running in my new space at UNC-Chapel Hill. I let the movers take my paint (terrible idea) and it didn't get here until last week. Anyway, I think I'm off to a good start. I want to attempt to do more than painting (video/multimedia), but I haven't quite figured that out yet. Stay tuned. I have my first graduate critique this Wednesday, so wish me luck. This should be interesting.

J-A-Y

2011-08-11T10:38:00.000-05:00

Whitewater Register, This Week

2011-07-22T12:49:00.003-05:00

"Not For Sale" Exhibition

2011-07-08T10:21:00.002-05:00

Readers, if you will be in Whitewater at all during July and August stop by the First Citizens State Bank to see a few of my paintings on display. This is a unique show in that all the pieces in the exhibition are commissioned works. With that said, it's important to note that these paintings are different stylistically than the works I create for myself. Go check em out.

Interview with Pat Mosher

2011-06-22T08:43:00.001-05:00

Symbols Number One [2]

2011-06-10T11:58:00.002-05:00

I got a request to redo this "Symbols Number One" painting at a smaller scale. I think the second one is actually a better painting. What do you think?

Hendry

2011-05-09T15:38:00.004-05:00

Oil Painting on Canvas of actress Gloria Hendry for Black Entertainer Enthusiast

End of April Painting

2011-04-25T13:07:00.000-05:00

I haven't really decided on a title for this piece. What would you call it?

Commission from Arts Alliance Drawing

2011-04-09T18:55:00.002-05:00

This commissioned painting is probably one of the more enjoyable "for profit" pieces I've worked on. One reason is because I was able to work from my own photograph. Being able to form my own composition from the beginning is always an ideal situation. I took more than 30 photographs of this child. After his mother, grandmother, a friend of their family, and I reviewed the digital photos, we all came to an agreement on which image was the best representation of him, and which might translate best into an oil painting. I wanted to use the projector for this piece, but the only projector that I had access to was too dim to be useful. I decided to loosley freehand the contour of the image with a piece of white chalk. The rest is history...Let's end all of these descriptions with that statement... "The rest is history." Yeah, that'll work. Or with that one: "Yeah that'll work." Ok. Let me stop. Seriously...

New Piece

2011-04-04T12:53:00.001-05:00

Tamara Dobson

2011-02-24T11:22:00.004-06:00

This painting was requested by a friend from college. He's developed an interest in soul singers and other prominent entertainers whose careers blossomed around the 1960s and 70s.

BFAI show, FRI Feb 4

2011-01-25T11:32:00.001-06:00

Museum of Science & Industry, Black Creativity

2011-01-16T16:33:00.009-06:00

So, my Granny told me to enter this Black Creativity show at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago a couple months ago. I entered two pieces and both got in. I don't know if they reject anything, but I'm just happy I got in. This is the first major exhibit I've participated in outside of Wisconsin. I think that's a step in the right direction. Shameeka and I took the work to the city on Friday morning. Thanks Granny!!!

MSI BLACK CREATIVITY Juried Art Exhibition
Mark Heard Photo:

The Original Foxy Brown

2010-12-15T09:58:00.002-06:00

Further In...

2010-12-09T12:19:00.002-06:00

God's Gang at 1:08

2010-12-07T21:39:00.005-06:00

Loose Title, Back Home, In Progress...

2010-11-18T09:54:00.002-06:00

Reticulation Eleven Uhleven

2010-11-11T19:26:00.002-06:00

Drawings of Josh

2010-11-08T15:11:00.002-06:00

Half & Half Opening

2010-11-07T17:20:00.001-06:00

Animation for Kanye's Runaway, Ayyaz Amjad

2010-10-26T04:24:00.001-05:00

This animation is dope, right? That's my new favorite word, dope.

Runaway from Ayyaz Amjad on Vimeo.

It's Comin....

2010-09-27T12:04:00.002-05:00

AND GOING...

2010-08-24T14:27:00.001-05:00

Workinonit 08.22.10

2010-08-22T19:33:00.000-05:00

Support God's Gang & Anne Hamersky

2010-08-11T11:04:00.000-05:00

Click this text to vote for Anne Hamersky's photo of Arielle. Arielle is a member of the Chicago based youth outreach organization, God's Gang. She is a young woman dedicated to cultivating positive change in American Agriculture.

Prepping Large Canvas

2010-08-10T19:05:00.000-05:00

I'm preparing this large canvas for my next painting project. It will be the largest piece I've done to date. Exciting! 8 by 5 something or other feet. I have a plan, so if all goes well this should be an interesting piece. If all doesn't go well this will still be a worthwhile endeavor. I'll keep the blog updated.

Summer Commission #?

2010-08-09T16:43:00.000-05:00

Interview w/ Paula Mohan

2010-07-05T14:32:00.001-05:00

FF Reception, Fiskum Gallery

2010-06-20T13:08:00.000-05:00

Attitude!

2010-06-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

So i decided to spend more time with this painting. I've been doing more of this lately. I think it was a good idea with this piece.

Pastel Drawing 1.1

2010-06-11T15:12:00.000-05:00

So, I'm still messing around with this drawing. I have to say that I'm not too pleased with the composition, but I think the drawing itself has improved. I'm not going any particular place with it, but it's been interesting to transform. How much further can i take it before it's ruined, or is it already crap?

Pastel Drawing Revisited 1.0

2010-05-30T16:17:00.000-05:00

FAMILIAR FACES

2010-05-27T15:55:00.000-05:00

"THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX", WWAA

2010-05-25T14:33:00.000-05:00

The "Thinking Outside the Box" projects are up and the sun is shining. If you happen to be in Whitewater, take a stroll down Main Street and check em out. Mine is just off the northwest corner of Fremont and Main. It's the one with the eyes.

Queen In Waiting

2010-05-05T21:58:00.001-05:00

2010-04-22T15:34:00.001-05:00

2010-04-13T11:17:00.000-05:00

I'm wondering now if I will go back into this painting. It's pretty brushy and loosely handled. Is more refined better? Jeremy (friend of mine, and talented painter) did comment on the white of the eyes needing some value change to make them more volumetric. Maybe I'll do that. We'll see.

For Professor

2010-03-25T22:30:00.000-05:00

I've been working on this painting for an instructor at UW-W. I'm near the end, but I still have to meet with him and his wife to get some feedback.

Self Portrait

2009-12-28T14:43:00.000-06:00

I'm going about it at a slower pace than I should be, but I want to begin to deal with more complexity in the negative space of my images. This self portrait is a start.

Circle Paintings 4 Up

2009-10-27T18:21:00.000-05:00

Painting Journal Pg.1(or something)

2009-10-23T12:51:00.000-05:00

Third Piece in C&LD Commission

2009-10-20T00:06:00.000-05:00

Lil shiny shine

2009-10-09T15:38:00.000-05:00

My painting "An Open Invitation" received a little publicity on the Walworth County Today's website. If you're in Whitewater, Wisconsin go check out that piece and the work of several other great artists at the Cultural Arts Center @ 402 W. Main St.

Aaaaand Done.

2009-10-06T17:33:00.000-05:00

The changes may appear subtle here, but it's a few hours difference and if you look carefully this finished version is more refined.

2009-10-03T18:42:00.000-05:00

I've been working on this painting of my friend Malika the past couple days. It's painted on top of the older acrylic painting shown below.

Some Cool Plant or Some Thing...

2009-09-19T13:25:00.000-05:00

I've walked past this plant about 3 times a week for the past month. Every single time I approach it I pause a little, thinking it's a huge caterpillar or some other creature. Today I decided to stop and get a shot of it.

Commission in Progress

2009-09-15T14:04:00.000-05:00

I am currently working on a commission for the Career & Leadership Development Center at the University of Wisconsin -Whitewater. The painting here is the 1st of four paintings that are scheduled to be exhibited in the Warhawk Involvement Center upon completion.

My Love...

2009-08-28T12:21:00.000-05:00

I built the frame to stretch this canvas on before I knew what I would paint on it. A portrait, of course, but who to paint? After rummaging through all the different photographs I have taken of family and other loved ones I decided on this photo of my wife. I rarely draw or paint images of people smiling or wearing expressions that can be easily read, but this photo of my beautiful Meky was irresistible.

Altogether Now!

2009-08-27T11:58:00.000-05:00

I was paging through an issue of Artnews from this past February and came across an intriguing video installation artist, Candice Breitz. Check her out. http://www.candicebreitz.net/
I love the concept behind some of these works. She constructs installations using found video, but also incorporates her own video of amateurs performing songs by iconic musicians, including Bob Marley and Michael Jackson.

Four Finger Ring of Indifference

2009-08-02T16:10:00.001-05:00

The ring pictured above is the result of a project assigned in an Intro to Metals course I recently completed. I have a thing for Spike Lee films. The ring I constructed out of copper is a reference to a scene from his film "Do The Right Thing". BIll Nunn as Radio Raheem. I love this scene and the rings are dope. He gives this great speech on LOVE & HATE. I started thinking about how humans tend to go to the extremes to describe our feelings for each other, and that regardless of how strongly you feel about someone that doesn't determine how they feel about you.
I thought it would be comical to etch a a multi-syllabic word on a ring that sat somewhere in between love and hate. Now, of course I don't plan on getting into any fist fights ever in life, but theoretically if I were to hit someone with this piece of metal it would do some serious damage. But it says, INDIFFERENT, so why should that cause so much pain? It's not nearly extreme an idea as love or hate.
It took me some time for me to grasp this concept, but the process of constructing this piece helped me get a handle on some personal feelings I hadn't previously taken much the time to deal with.

Redbubble Slideshow Thingermajig

2009-07-30T13:07:00.000-05:00