the beginning of now

first opening: a great success

2011-06-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

The June 10th opening of the beginning of now was excellent! The turnout was huge, the space looked great, and of course Jim's vision was realized in full. Kerianne Goodall, an impersonator of young Jim, attended the opening and perused the work and got introduced to patrons as Jim. The exhibition is very unique, and it seemed to surprise people. The show and the book both got really good feedback. I noticed lots of younger folks were really interested in Jim's older paintings. I think it's because their color palette graphic style have returned somewhat as a contemporary aesthetic trend.

There is another opening this Friday during the art walk!!! Please come back and bring friends--the show is only up for one more week total! If you ordered one of the $25.00 books, they have arrived and will be available for retrieval during the June 17th opening. Thanks to everyone who attended! If you weren't able to, make sure not to miss this Friday.

I don't think Jim has talked that much in his life..

This is the image of Jim that was the basis of Kerianne's look. It's pretty uncanny how much she actually resembles him at that age.

gotta say, they nailed it..

...right down to the sock n' stocks.


the first tear-away made a few folks nervous. But they were made to buy and take.

Narcissus Pond..

this photo for some reason is awesome to me. it somehow summarizes the experience of observing Jim's work.. and of course Teresa is an artist/photographer herself.. look at that flash shadow!

the oversized prints of the windows look amazing.

American Gothic

cast of characters: Kenny Riches (build out and exhibition assist), Andrew Calis (Jim's studio assistant), Jim, Cara Despain (book writer and exhibition producer), Mary Toscano (hand-bound book and cover fabricator), and Tj Nelson (book photographer).

from around the house, etc.

2011-06-08T01:38:00.000-07:00

While Jim has been working hard doing interviews and finishing up work for the show, we have been working hard building out the space for the exhibition at the Westgate Lofts storefront. The folks down there have been unbelievably generous and easy to work with, and the space is looking great. We are really looking forward to Friday. Funny, I realized today that the final layout abstractly resembles Jim's actual house somewhat--I don't know if that is accidental, or merely points to his deeply embedded sense of home and history as an architect..

Here are some pics I snapped on my phone from around the house and studio the other day. I swear every time I visit I see something new. And something new sees me. Jim's house has many faces--made from found objects, a mix of his work past, or a collision thereof (look at the book for good examples of that). Sometimes I think they might now be self-replicating while Jim is away or asleep; taking on a life of their own.

even the bathroom reflects his palette and installation sensibilities..


same shut as open..

The kitchen wall is the longest-running mega collage in the house, and it's CRAZY to look at. There is a lot of information there, as well as some great gems. It reminds me of a public area for posting bills that builds up layers and layers of history. Somehow all of the layers in this case relate back to Jim..

what I've realized is that taking pictures of Jim's house makes everything flat and graphic (essentially what he does in his photo work). It's like the stagings in his house bend to his will in that way. These are 3-d outcroppings from the wall that now look like a single photo.

there is a lot of humor in the kitchen piece..

Look! I'm even worked in now (a photocopy I gave him of one of my drawings is now adorned with one of his figures). I'm in interesting company with Kenny Riches and Osama..

latex chest piece in the studio

early double portrait

I laugh every time I look at it..

from the early drawings I mentioned in an earlier post

Jim in the press!

2011-06-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

the beginning of now has been well received so far--there are two big articles that came out this weekend about Jim, his house, and the book in anticipation of the exhibition (Friday!). Both the reporters, one from 15Bytes and one from the trib, visited Jim's home for the interview. Find the articles here:

Salt Lake Tribune

15Bytes

the book(s)!

2011-06-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

The book project documenting the state of his home has been the main inspiration for Jim's show, and the opening will mark the release of two versions of the book: the limited edition, hand-bound, artist-made version, and a soft-cover version printed through CreateSpace published by Waine and Kenny Riches publishing company, Little Zion. The handmade edition will be two hard cover books--the photos of the house (taken by Tj Nelson), and the writing about Jim and the house written by me (Cara Despain)--both hand bound by Mary Toscano. They come in a specially crafted, fitted box (adorned on the exterior with singular collage work by Jim), and each book also will also have an individually made dust jacket. This edition of ten is the centerpiece of the show; using the book itself as the medium, they have been created as part of the work for the exhibition. They look so amazing! A lot of work has gone into these pieces.

The second book will be a commercially printed version--a combination of some of the photos from the limited edition and the writing, and will also be available at the openings. If you don't obtain one of the limited edition, but still want to experience the home, this is another option--we feel like providing a context for Jim and his work offers a very interesting and vital insight.

older work

2011-05-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

Jim enrolled in art school in 1967 at Fort Hayes State College, where he completed both his Bachelors and Master's degrees in art. Biographically, this moment marked a huge change in his life, and it was reflected in the work he began making. Prior to studying art, Jim had been a practicing architect (which was his career until he retired a couple years ago), and much of that practice informs his design sensibilities both directly and indirectly. It's interesting to look back at some of his early work, and recognize not only the influence art movements of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s had on him, but also to see images that have been mixed and amalgamated into the sort of life collage that his his self portraiture has become.

As with the art world at large, computers and digital media marked a big transition in Jim's work. Starting in the mid 1990s, he began condensing and using digital collage to combine more traditional media--his paintings, film photographs, and drawings--with his self-image in a new way. Many of his photos are performative, and when collaged with other works, become the narrative component to his self-portrait. Looking at his newer digital works you can see fragments of work from decades prior, and, through repetition and progression you can almost begin to trace a history, hence the exhibition and the book's title: the beginning of now.

Press Release for the exhibition!

2011-05-23T17:39:00.000-07:00

the beginning of now

a solo exhibition by Jim Williams

June 10-June 25, 2011

opening reception: June 10, 6-9pm

art walk reception: June 17, 6-9pm

at Westgate Lofts, ground floor: 328 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Salt Lake City based artist and former architect Jim Williams will exhibit his most in-depth project to date—the beginning of now—a culmination of the last twenty-plus years of his work that he has been creating and installing, unviewed, inside his home. The exhibition will also mark the release of a limited edition, hand-made book documenting the state of his house (which instigated the exhibition) written by Cara Despain, with photographs by Tj Nelson, and hand-bound by Mary Toscano.

the beginning of now will serve as a grand gesture that will be the crescendo of the project: Williams will re-create and stage a part of his home outside of his actual domicile. Working across several modes of expression (drawing, painting, photo, collage, installation, sculpture, and performance), Williams aims to expose each facet of self through the lens of the narcissistic and isolated artist in his decades-long (and counting) self-portrait. His practice has extended to encompass his entire life and living space—taking fragments, pictures of pictures of his early work, and life “dander” (personal events, photos, mementos), he creates generational, fractal-like sets that span decades. By removing the work from the home, he will literally use time as media, and present an installation that contains artifacts from his life as a portrait. The notion of façade, a prevalent theme in his work, will be embodied in part by an impersonator of him who will attend the opening to represent the removed self that results from the acting of putting personal work on public display.

Mary Toscano, binding away!

2011-05-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

Artist Mary Toscano, talented printmaker and bookmaker extraordinaire, has been hired by Jim to hand bind and design the limited edition version of the book documenting his home. This edition will be the centerpiece of the exhibition, and will be awesome when it is complete. Jim is making unique jacket covers and boxes for each one in the set.

this is the place..

2011-05-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

Westgate Lofts is officially the venue for Jim William's major exhibition!

Everyone involved in the book and exhibition project, and especially Jim himself, have been working hard and we are excited to have found such an incredible venue. the beginning of now, an exhibition of Jim's work that will feature a limited edition hand-made book documenting his home that he has constructed (photographed by Tj Nelson, written by Cara Despain, and hand-bound by Mary Toscano), will serve also as a grand gesture: Jim will re-create and stage a part of his home outside of his actual domicile--the place where he has been making and installing his work for twenty-five years. He has shown rarely--in NYC, at Finch Lane, and in GARFO Art Center's first show); this will be his largest and most in-depth exhibition to date, and his (re)introduction to Salt Lake City viewers.

The spot in Westgate is lovely. It's on the ground level, with floor to ceiling windows facing the street, and is a raw cement and brick space that the company is generously letting us use for the show. We are so excited to build it out and transform it into a version of Jim's world! 328 W 200 S.

The openings: June 10: opening reception

June 17: public opening during art walk

2011-05-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

the skins

2011-05-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

One of my absolute favorite things in Jim's house is his t-shirt table. If you've ever met him, you know that virtually all of the shirts he wears are, true to his work, an extension of his house, and are hand-made collages that he irons on. The further down in the piles you dig, the further back in time you go--some of his earlier shirts (and some of my favorites) have just screen prints of the simple, figurative line drawings he used to do in the 70s.

Many of the shirts contain a mixed-age self portrait that mashes up photos and artwork that spans decades. Others are friends or family presented in an uncanny format. Sometimes it's difficult to discern whether he wears his shirt with a sense of humor, in all seriousness, or with just a twinge of irony. It could be very well be a combination of all three in varying degrees from day to day. The shirts are a direct play into his interest in camouflage--I sometimes wonder how he chooses which shirt he will wear on any given day. He can choose which fragment of his life, from which period, he wants to fit himself with, or hide himself in; his skin for the day.

maybe I do know how he chooses..

a series of the t-shirts have become wall pieces.

introducing Jim Williams...

2011-05-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

I have been working with Jim Williams for almost two years on a project that has evolved into an exhibition of his work to take place in Salt Lake City, UT next month (June). The first time I met Jim, I visited his house in the avenues--which is the focus of the project. It felt perhaps similar what it must have been like to discover Henry Darger's room; an entire domicile made into an installation that contains all of the objects of a person's life. I have written a book about Jim and his home, Tj Nelson photographed it, and it sparked the idea to display the home outside of itself--a unprecedented gesture for Jim, and unusual and interesting art exhibition for Salt Lake. This has been a long time coming, and we are very excited that the project is near fruition.

A little more about Jim:

Working across several modes of expression (drawing, painting, photo, collage, installation, sculpture, and performance), Williams aims to expose each facet of self through the lens of the narcissistic and isolated artist in his decades-long (and counting) self portrait.

As a student of art in the late 1960s and early 70s, Williams witnessed and was influenced by key art movements that are ultimately evidenced in his current self portrait project—one he has been working on for the past twenty-five years. Through the meticulous and constant arranging, collaging, and staging of his work in his home, William’s practice has expanded to include the very gestures of his everyday life. Taking fragments, pictures of pictures of his early work, and life ‘dander’ (personal events, photos, mementos), he creates generational, fractal-like sets that span decades and occupy his entire living space. His self-image, at different ages, and as different egos, permeates the house, his clothing, and almost any object that leaves or intersects with the home. All of the works he has been creating are parts to a whole, and singularly function as mere components to a composite self portrait that extends beyond objects created in a studio.

In June, 2011, the work of the last twenty-five years, seen mostly by those who physically visit his home, will culminate in a major exhibition; the crescendo of the project being the gesture of removing the work from the home and re-creating its environment in another location. In this way, he will literally use time as media, and present an installation that contains artifacts from his life as a portrait. The notion of façade, a prevalent theme in his work, will be embodied in part by an impersonator of him who will attend the opening to represent the removed self that results from the acting of putting personal work on public display.