2023 Catalogue Archive

William Atkinson’s Essential vs. Insignificant is a work full of dichotomies. Expressive, gestural marks contrast with crisp lines and collaged images in a composition that is bisected by a thick black band. In the top left corner, timber stacks up waiting to be used as a resource, while in the lower right corner a man contemplates a rifle that he seems to be cleaning. Graffitied lines overlay the work, adding energy to the physical and mental space the work generates. Atkinson’s life took many paths before becoming an artist. He began his professional life as a police officer, and due to his work with community engagement and education was recruited to be an instructor for the US Military. After his career with the military ended, he shifted his energies to the art world, working in gallery settings and making his own work. He has shown his work throughout the US and Europe.