Ben Williams
The central concept of my art is the relationship between
the observer and the deeper emotional association it
provokes. I am fascinated by the fact that an image can
be interpreted differently depending on the viewer’s own
personal experiences of life. My work is a stimulation of
conscious and unconscious sensations linked to people and
place; the art of knowing and remembering. I hope to tell
stories about the richness and diversity of people’s lives
and express the atmosphere of places through my artworks.
I was originally influenced by the portrait etchings of Alison
Lambert and Freya Payne and their use of contrasting and
expressive mark making while tightly cropping the final
image. I not only took these ideas into my own portrait
etchings but also incorporated this aesthetic into my
places and buildings work to create a more dynamic and
shadowy quality. Light, tone, texture and identity is further
explored in my large painted portraits and these have been
inspired and enriched by Steve Eichenberger’s freedom of
brushstroke and cardboard backgrounds.