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June Issue 2005
Hilton Head Art League on Hilton Head Island, SC, Features Works by Irene K. Williamson
The
Hilton Head Art League is pleased to present the exhibition, Visual
Alchemy, featuring collages and mixed media works by Irene
K. Williamson. The exhibit at the Art League Gallery in Pineland
Station on Hilton Head Island, SC, will be on view from June 7
through July 2, 2005.
Williamson is a chemist who has turned alchemist. The transition occurred a few years ago. Like the alchemists of old who transformed base metals into gold, Williamson transforms bits and pieces of ordinary things into works of art. Her exciting collages are rich in color, bold of design and filled with creativity.
"I started doing collages about four years ago," says Williamson. "The inspiration struck when I attended a demonstration sponsored by the Art League. A well-known collage artist talked about the creative freedom this art form offers."
Collages are now becoming increasingly popular. Though collages were created by well known artists in the past, like Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, they were not commonly exhibited in galleries. The term collage comes from the French verb "coller," meaning to glue together. Pieces of colored papers and found materials act as the artist's palette. Collages vary from pure abstraction to realism. Williamson's collages are neither. They are the result of pure alchemy. Each collage has a theme. Some incorporate realistic images from photographs she has taken, or artwork she has done in other mediums. The resulting pieces of art are often a combination of reality and abstraction. Clues to the theme of each collage can be found in her clever titles, such as: Fashion Statement, Shabby Chic, Time Warp, Beyond the Fringe, or Rocky Mountain High. These collages need to be seen to be fully appreciated.
"One of the things I've always enjoyed doing with my art has been to incorporate original artwork into the collages. For this show, I even took some segments of paintings done by my late husband, Jack Williamson, and given them a different twist. Jack's Dancer is one such collage. And, to remain faithful to the alchemists of old, every collage in the show contains a sparkle of gold," says Williamson.
Williamson holds a BS degree in Chemistry from Queens College in New York. She studied art at New York's Art Students League while pursuing a career in chemistry, marketing and public relations. After 17 years as an executive at Avon Products, she started her own consulting company, Williamson International, specializing in international communications. She continues to consult with clients locally on marketing and consumer issues.
Williamson and her husband, Jack, became full-time residents of Hilton Head Island after years of vacationing on the island, dating back to the early 70's. Jack's highly successful career as an artist kept her from producing any art. "One artist in the family is enough," she said. But, Williamson could not resist the exciting quality and potential of collage, and with the encouragement of her husband, she began her own art career.
Williamson's work has been accepted into several juried shows and she was the recipient of the Golden Palette Award and most recently an Award for Excellence in the 2005 Hilton Head Plantation Artists Annual Juried Show. Her work can be seen at the Hilton Head Art League Gallery and the Calhoun Street Gallery in Bluffton, SC. Williamson is a member of the Hilton Head Art League's Board of Directors, the Society of Bluffton Artists, the Hilton Head Plantation Artists, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC. Her work is in private collections across the country, France and England.
Upon the death of her husband in 2003, Williamson began work on a book about her husband's life and artwork. The book, Capturing Life: The Art of Jack Williamson, was introduced at a retrospective show of his work that she curated at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina in 2004.
Williamson will be at the Art League Gallery every Wed. during the run of her show, from 11am-2pm, to talk about her unusual and exciting art, and sign copies of her husband's book. She is inviting visitors to the gallery to bring bits and pieces of materials to be incorporated into a collage that will be created during the course of her show. (Small and flat pieces of colorful fabric, unique papers, photographs work best). The completed collage will be donated to the Art League to raise funds for their outreach programs.
On June 26, 2005, there will be a brunch with the artist, catered by the French Bakery in the courtyard in Pineland Station at 11:30am. This will be followed by a presentation by the artist about her inspiration and techniques in creating Visual Alchemy. For ticket information and prices for the brunch, contact the Art League Gallery at 843/681-5060.
For more info check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call the gallery at 843/681-5060 or at (www.hiltonheadartleague.org).
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