WILLIAM SPENCER III
Raised in the Midwest and encouraged to draw at a young age, by the time William Spencer enrolled at the University of Missouri, several one man shows of his paintings were already behind him. Rather than pursue fine art however he took his first job in graphic design in 1976 and continued in Commercial illustration for eleven years. Finally after moving to central California he began painting the first body of work which would bring him recognition in the world of Fine Art. That first show in Sacramento California - earned him the juried title: '1990’s rising star of northern California' –by unanimous vote of area galleries.
That same year his work was again chosen from over 800 California Artists for the 'Crocker-Kingsley' exhibition: A forum for emerging artists which has provided many now well known artists unparalleled opportunity for exposure in a prestigious museum setting. That Museum - The Crocker Art Museum - was established in 1885 making it the oldest Museum of Art West of the Mississippi. The Kingsley Art Club has held 75 Crocker-Kingsley exhibits since 1892 and has the reputation as the Oldest most respected Art club in the west. The show was juried by curator of the Museum of Modern Art New York, with William acting as special docent at the exhibit.
Spencer's debut at the Crocker-Kingsley was soon followed by Art Expo Los Angeles, the Sausalito Art festival, another one man show at Medusa Gallery and two more shows at Horvath Bass Gallery and Accurate Art Gallery. Then in 1992, the artist opened and hosted his own gallery in Downtown Sacramento logging over 10,000 guests and selling more than 200 paintings in just over two years. This was followed once again by another one man show in Tokyo, Japan at Art Box gallery in the fashionable Roppongi district.
The Artist moved to Bisbee Arizona and in 2003 -Director LouAnne Nelson of Belleza gallery - offered to show his work. Belleza has sold over 350 paintings by William Spencer III since we began showing his work , which is a little more than one painting per week for six years straight.
Many collectors and visitors ask what inspires his multifaceted textural paintings. While difficult to sum up such a broad range of work in a few paragraphs it is helpful in understanding his work to know a few things regarding the artist’s upbringing.
One underlying factor which manifests in recurring facets of his work is the fact that he was raised without television. Over time he has come to regard this facet of his past as an often subtle yet persistent influence in his varied methods of expression. He has always found the idea fascinating that the air was filled with images, words and ideas not seen or heard unless properly ‘tuned in’. As his work has evolved one can find numerous ways this theme is projected through his work. One also sees scribbled letters often scratched into the plaster of his work along with parts of old logos and other visual anchors.
Of course we want to know what the words say because they are usually only partially legible which piques our curiosity. However even the artist rarely recalls what was originally written. This is because it is done spontaneously without the intention of saving the words as the painting progresses. Almost as though the expression is meant to be blurred by the act of the painting. He compares this to how you might hum a familiar tune even when you aren’t completely sure of the words yet you find the song moving or associate it with a particular time or event that was joyful, moving or important to you. Aiming for a similar sort of connection in his ‘touchable’ works of art, William uses not only the content but the feel of the surface itself to bring a sense of familiarity and warmth and sense of passage of time to people even if that familiarity or passage is difficult to describe.
I prefer not to have my mind set on a particular result when I paint. It’s better to let the painting develop as I go - so I usually don’t know exactly what I'll end up with until the very end. Most of my paintings start one way and end up completely different from how I imagined when I began. Furthermore, Dialog has to flow both ways between the painting and those who take the paintings home. If I insisted on my own personal interpretation there would be nothing left for the viewer except to view the painting. If the viewer is instead a participant it becomes their own experience. This has become the most rewarding way for me to paint.
Recurring objects, lines, textures and animals - coils, tendrils, saguaros, horses and birds, as well as the touchable patina on his 3 inch thick panel and plaster canvases have made the artists' work both readily recognizable and sought after. There are currently no early works available - only recent works. The artist has painted at least 700 paintings.
One Man Exhibits:
Horvath Bass Galleries - Sacramento
Medusa Gallery - Sacramento
William Spencer III Gallery - Sacramento
Art Box Gallery - Roppongi - Tokyo
San Ygancio Ltd. - L.A. Art Expo
Current Exhibits:
Belleza Fine Art- Bisbee, AZ
Turquoise Tortoise – Hyatt at pinyon point – Sedona, AZ
LKG Contemporary –Scottsdale, AZ
Jane Hamilton Fine Art – Tucson, AZ
Magazines:
Sunstorm Fine Arts- Southern CA.
Art Expo Preview magazine
Décor- National Art Magazine
Sacramento- The ‘Best of the City’- issue
On The Wings- Sacramento Art review
Bisbee Marquee- Bisbee, AZ
Phoenix Home and Garden, Feb. 2004
Diggs Magazine- Tucson, AZ Oct 2002
Tucson Guide - Fall 2007 - Cover
Arizona's Gold - Hardback - 2006
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