May Issue 2000
The Wells Gallery in Charleston, SC, Features Work by William Jameson
Travels in Tuscany, an exhibition of works by Lowcountry artist William Jameson, will be on display at The Wells Gallery, Charleston, SC, from May 19 through June 2, 2000.
A native of South Carolina, Jameson has traveled widely, always accompanied by the tools of his trade. His style varies, but constant throughout his work is the theme of contrast between the dark and the light. In this exhibition, his focus plays on the landscapes on Tuscany, where the light is extraordinary, whether it be on the hillsides or on the climbing streets that characterize the towns of the area.
Regarding the European landscape, Jameson remarks, "The landscapes are gentler there. Places have a magical light. It is really wonderful to go to Europe. It refreshes you for when you come back. You see your own landscape differently. I couldn't wait to get back."
"It's not while I'm painting that I think about what is in my paintings. It's when I reflect on what I have painted. Then I see the dark and the light. My feelings are not thoroughly thought out and I don't know if they ever will be."
"But when you understand something about darkness, it's easier to see the light. Warm colors are always made more vibrant when they are contrasted with cool ones," adds Jameson.
Over the years, Jameson's travels have taken him to many exotic locations, and today he often leads painting expeditions, taking his students and fellow artists to locations both near and far. An accomplished sailor, Jameson recently wintered in the Caribbean, painting from the deck of his boat, the 38 foot Calypso.
Earlier in his career, Jameson worked from a studio in Soho, where his work came to the attention of filmmaker Woody Allen. Jameson's pieces feature prominently on the sets of Allen's early films Interiors and Manhattan.
Returning to Charleston in the early 80's, Jameson has played a key role in Charleston's return to prominence in the arts. One of the founding artists of The Wells Gallery, Jameson also teaches his techniques, and many of Charleston's successful artists acknowledge a debt to Jameson and his work.
Jameson concludes, "For me, painting has always been an intellectual exploration of emotion with the landscape as motif. When I look back at my paintings after some distance in time, I can see elements of my thoughts and emotions which I had been experiencing."
"My primary focus in landscape painting is in the inherent beauty in nature and that provides me with my escape from thoughts about man's inhumanity to man, which seems to be the major topics of film, literature, and news."
Travels in Tuscany conveys that beauty well, bringing the Tuscan sun and its timeless landscapes back to Charleston in a manner that is purely an appreciation of landscape and light.
One of Charleston's most prominent galleries,
The Wells Gallery is located at 103 Broad Street, at the corner
of King and Broad, downtown Charleston. Questions regarding the
Gallery or Jameson's work can be directed to 843/853-3233, e-mail
at (info@wellsgallery.com) or check them out on the web at (http://www.wellsgallery.com).
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