‘Unlikely Pairs’ For Artist William Nelson

Artist William Nelson is known for his paintings that assemble unlikely pairs, or groups of figures – such as Hollywood film icons and nostalgic comic book environments – that would not normally be considered within the same frame. Many of his canvases consist of a plethora of references to movies and television (drawing from famous actors, scenes, or sets from the previous 70 years of media).

These depictions, though, are seemingly disparate (why are the Big Lebowski and the Flintstones sharing a scene?) It is in these contradictions, pulling his viewer in multiple directions, through differing head spaces, that Nelson creates a wholly unique canvas.

For Nelson, these characters, whether literal drawings or personas from movies or television, are ultimately a projection of the audience. Using this Hollywood ethos, Nelson de- and reconstructs their identities — using our collective nostalgia or association with them, and, yet, placing them in unknown or foreign contexts. Using the traditional medium of paint and canvas Nelson reframes and blends these entities into a completely new and novel narrative.

His paintings live in between the tension felt between our immediate connection to the characters and our recognition of a deep disconnect. His craft is his ability to balance between this sense of seriousness and playfulness.

According to gallery representative Ron Cavalier of Cavalier Galleries (who have exhibited a number of Nelson’s paintings): “Bill’s love of his work, of the process and the product, is obvious when you meet him and palpable through his paintings. His art is big and bold. It compels curiosity and conversation. Bill paints what he wants to see on the canvas, drawing from the visual database of his mind, spanning the earliest memories of his childhood to present day. Vintage comic books, 1960s-and 1970s-era cartoons, the Golden Age of Hollywood, and pop culture celebrities coexist on his picture planes in striking combinations—often funny, sometimes sexy, always intriguing.”

Nelson’s works pose questions, inviting their viewers to further examine their subjects. By exploring this relationship, Nelson compels his audience to find the point of intersection for these unlikely pairs. In generating these conversations, Nelson’s paintings become their own still frame — our job is to construct the narrative around it.