Monday entry (for 2/1/10): Artist of interest: Robert Williams
Robert Williams is an American painter, underground cartoonist and creator and editor in chief of Juxtapoz magazine. He helped create what is now known as the low brow art scene, also known as pop surrealism, in the late 1970s. Williams was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 2, 1943. He took classes at the Los Angeles City College school and moved on to a brief stint at The Chouinard Art Institute where he was referred to as an illustrator by his peers, which was meant as an insult. Williams landed his dream job in 1965 working for Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, a custom hot-rod builder and artist who created the hot-rod icon Rat Fink. Williams created advertisements and graphics for Roth while working on his own art on the side in the form of oil paintings. Themes in Williams' work consist of hot-rod and underground comic counter culture. After working for Roth, he joined the ZAP Comix collective of artists and helped create what is now known as the low brow/pop surrealist movement along with other artists such as Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, Rick Griffin, Gilbert Shelton, Spain Rodriguez and Victor Moscoso. After spending the better part of the late 70s and 80s creating a name for himself via gallery showings and publishing books of his work, which were all celebrated in the underground art and punk rock scene, he created Juxtapoz magazine in 1994. Juxtapoz is now one of the highest circulated art magazines and has launched several artists careers, such as Mark Ryden and Shepard Fairey.
Riding a Dead Horse in a Dream Within a Dream, oil on canvas,
The Girl with the Faberge Ass, oil on canvas, year unknown,
The Ball Peen Hammer Expressionist, oil on canvas, year unknown,
Backstage Johnny Expresses His Darker Urges
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