Christopher Williams (artist)
Encyclopedia
Christopher Williams is an American
conceptual
artist and fine art photographer
. He is represented by David Zwirner
, New York.
. In the 1970s and early 1980s, he studied at the California Institute of the Arts
under the first generation of West Coast conceptual
artists including John Baldessari
and Douglas Huebler
. Since October 2008 he has been a Professor in Photography at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
.
in 2007, Tim Griffin described Williams's approach as "sociophotographic." It has been said that Williams works within the tradition of institutional critique
within what Sven Lütticken describes as an informal group, along with Willem de Rooij
, Jeroen de Rijke and Mathias Poledna, that investigates the "parameters of the exhibition space."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
conceptual
Conceptual art
Conceptual art is art in which the concept or idea involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. Many of the works, sometimes called installations, of the artist Sol LeWitt may be constructed by anyone simply by following a set of written instructions...
artist and fine art photographer
Fine art photography
Fine art photography refers to photographs that are created in accordance with the creative vision of the photographer as artist. Fine art photography stands in contrast to photojournalism, which provides a visual account for news events, and commercial photography, the primary focus of which is to...
. He is represented by David Zwirner
David Zwirner
David Zwirner is a gallerist and art dealer and owner of the David Zwirner Gallery in New York City. In 2010 Zwirner was listed at number four in the ArtReview annual "Power 100" list.-Early Life:...
, New York.
Academic career
Williams graduated from Grinnell CollegeGrinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
. In the 1970s and early 1980s, he studied at the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
under the first generation of West Coast conceptual
Conceptual art
Conceptual art is art in which the concept or idea involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic and material concerns. Many of the works, sometimes called installations, of the artist Sol LeWitt may be constructed by anyone simply by following a set of written instructions...
artists including John Baldessari
John Baldessari
John Anthony Baldessari is an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images. He lives and works in Santa Monica and Venice, California...
and Douglas Huebler
Douglas Huebler
Douglas Huebler was an American conceptual artist.-Life and career:Douglas Huebler grew up in rural Michigan during the Depression and served in the Marines in World War II...
. Since October 2008 he has been a Professor in Photography at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, formerly Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, is the Arts Academy of the city of Düsseldorf. It is well known for having produced many famous artists, such as Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Thomas Demand, and Andreas Gursky...
.
Exhibitions
In 2000, at an exhibition at David Zwirner Gallery, in New York, Williams showed twenty photographs including a series of pictures of a 1964 Renault automobile on its side. Writing in the New York Times Ken Johnson said, "the Renault was made in a French factory where significant revolutionary activities took place in 1968; hence it is tipped up like a barricade."Working practice
Writing in ArtforumArtforum
Artforum is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art.-Publication:The magazine is published ten times a year, September through May, along with an annual summer issue...
in 2007, Tim Griffin described Williams's approach as "sociophotographic." It has been said that Williams works within the tradition of institutional critique
Institutional Critique
Institutional Critique is an art term that describes the systematic inquiry into the workings of art institutions, for instance galleries and museums, and is most associated with the work of artists such as Michael Asher, Marcel Broodthaers, Daniel Buren, Andrea Fraser, Fred Wilson and Hans...
within what Sven Lütticken describes as an informal group, along with Willem de Rooij
Willem de Rooij
Willem de Rooij is an artist working in a variety of media, including film and installation.-Biography:Willem de Rooij studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam from 1990–95 and at the Rijksakademie there from 1997-98...
, Jeroen de Rijke and Mathias Poledna, that investigates the "parameters of the exhibition space."
Literature
- Burton, Johanna. “Christopher Williams at David Zwirner.” Artforum (May 2008): 376-377.
- Ekeberg, Jonas. “Fotografiets Utvidete Felft Photography’s Expanded Field.” OM FOTOGRAFI (2005): 3-11.
- Godfrey, Mark. “Christopher Williams.” Artforum (May 2007): 366.
- Lütticken, Sven. “Gegen die Wand.” Texte Zur Kunst (June 2009): 121-123.
- Rattemeyer, Christian. “Christopher Williams.” Parkett No. 77 (2006):155.