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St. Cloud State University
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Williams' exhibit overwhelms SCSU
By Joe Palmersheim
Published:
Thursday, February 13, 2003
Media Credit: Stefanie Beniek
SCSU painting students, Crystal Zancig and Jeanne Platt, talk in-depth about Peter Williams� art at the exhibit opening on Wednesday at the Kiehle Arts Gallery.
Artist Peter Williams has a new exhibit on campus in the Gallery Display Area in the Kiehle Visual Arts Center. The exhibit, titled "Alicia- Studio Time," is composed of both drawings and paintings done in a surreal, almost pop-art style. It was graced with the presence of Williams himself, who was on hand to meet his fans and answer questions.
The exhibit was a two-part program, with the first half of evening featuring Williams present in the gallery room. The second half of the evening was spent in the Atwood Little Theatre, where Williams presented a slide show showcasing his work.
Peter Williams is an artist from Detroit who also teaches art at Wayne State University. Williams was once based in Minnesota, but moved away during the mid-1980s. This exhibit was not the first time that Williams had been on the SCSU campus. He was here 15 years ago as a guest, when he was still a "funky underground artist."
When asked about his reception the second time around, Williams was complimentary. "I have to say I'm really stunned. The students, the faculty, all of the administrative people have been very kind and very supportive. I'm especially grateful for Jenny Schmidt, she is really outstanding."
Williams' work is quite surreal, the painting side of the exhibition features the creative use of color and background to make a statement, be it personal or political.
An example of Williams' style is captured in his painting "Studio Time, 1997," which features a couple copulating in front of a skyline. The couple is huge in the painting, dwarfing the skyline, which is composed of household appliances as well as actual buildings. Williams prefers to use pastel-based colors, which give the paintings a softer, almost dream-like quality.
The other side of the exhibit features black and white drawings, also very surreal in nature. One of the most prominent figures in these drawings is a black man missing his right leg below the knee. When asked, Williams says that this figure represents himself. "In college my roommate drove us off a cliff. I lost a leg, broke my other leg in five places, fractured my hands and arms and went through 22 operations. I went through part of the windshield and shredded my upper torso. I spent seven months in the hospital. I guess the amputee is me."
Audience reaction to the exhibit was overwhelmingly positive. "I think the work really is direct, incredible and very emotional. (It has) both incredible technical skill and colors, as well as a good political message. I really like that combination," Jenny Schmidt said, who in addition to helping bring Williams to SCSU, teaches print making here at SCSU. The gallery showing proved to be popular with other people as well, with at least 20 people in the room at any given time.
When asked if he had a favorite painting in the exhibit, Williams smiled and said "No, I mean, they all mean something to me, because they are from a period when I was in a relationship with a woman named Alicia, hence the title, and I was struggling with the issues of the idea of representation and narrative. Each painting was a personal struggle and triumph for me, and as I look around, it's like they are all my little kids.
