Michael WIlliams
DAD.PSD, 2016
Edition of unique lithographs (monoprints) on grey Rives BFK paper
21 7/8 x 29 in.
Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Description:
Michael Williams’ lithographs are actually monoprints, which means that they are printed from a design created digitally, but from looking at this ‘design’ it is not clear that it is only a print. Thought the print seem the same texture as the paper, it looks like a painting with the help of markers, for example, water based markers that create a similar effect. Because of this and the colors used, the painting reminds the viewer child’s artwork. What at first seems to be a chaotic lines and uneven coloring, under longer consideration, appears to be a part of the puzzle that the whole artwork presents. Relatively same-sized pieces of different smooth forms and light or bright colors come together into one solid rectangular block. Most of the lines are long, soft and winding, but some of the strokes seem pretty harsh. The bigger figures that look like pieces of puzzle are composed from smaller elements, triangles or crosses with round ends (like in the upper left corner) or smaller elliptical figures that resemble parts of human or animal body, like fingers, eyes or silhouette (in the upper right corner blue forms look like a scull). The quantity of smaller elements in much bigger in the center of the composition, there the colors and lines overlap and become indistinguishable one from another. However, in the upper middle part of the artwork, under very close look, it is possible to see letters, part of them are not readable, while the other part forms words ‘shop’ and ‘closing’.
Deduction:
Speculation:
As it was already mentioned, this lithograph, DAD.PSD is only one of the series of similar artworks made by Michael Williams in 2016. This one is numbered with 7. Other lithographs from the series are made in similar fashion, using other colors, but all of the colors one way or another hint to the palette usually seen in markers for kids. Such markers are usually used for coloring books and in the composition by Williams some abstract figures are, indeed, carelessly colored as if they are colored by a child. Another paintings from the series contain exactly the same composition completed with different colors, but because of the change they look completely different one from another and evoke different emotions from the viewer. This is partially due to the fact that other elements of the composition become more apparent and viewer’s attention focuses on other forms not seen in the previous works, even thought there are 29 unique variants of it.
In fact, the artwork is a monolith and it is only a print of the design made by Michael Williams. It is interesting because the line between digital image and traditional painting is questioned. It is not clear from the picture what instruments the artist used to create it, but rather chaotic lines and effortless aura of the composition suggest that design was made by artist hand. However, when working with digital instruments it is possible to delete, change or fix some part of the painting, which is not possible while making traditional gestural painting that includes more accidents and a certain lever of carelessness when painted by confident hand.
