This week we sit down with the artist Todd Williamson. For the past 20 years Todd Williamson has been a vital part of the California school of abstraction. He has exhibited extensively both in the United States and internationally, participating in over 80 exhibitions worldwide. His work is part of the Pio Monte della Misericordia permanent collection and included in some of the top collections around the world. Todd has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Pollock Krasner Foundation Award Grant, Best Foreign Artist-Bluduemila Sporte & Arte Italy, two Artslant International Abstract Showcase Awards, and an Artistic Merit Award from Art 1307 Cultural Association in Italy. ArtSlant International Showcase Awards, Curator’s Choice Award from the Micro Museum, Brooklyn NY, and an Artistic Merit Award from the City of Naples, Italy. Please enjoy our interview!
What was your first job in the Arts?
I was in a rock band in high school and my dad was our manager! We played all the proms and local functions around the northern part of the state.
What was the most useful or important thing you learned at that job?
I learned the importance of cooperation and working together. I also learned that if you need something, you ask a fellow artist because they’re the only ones who understand not only what you need but also why you need it.
Tell us a little more about yourself. When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in this industry?
More about myself? I am a pretty easy-going artist and although I live in Los Angeles, I rarely drive! My studio is behind my house. I have always painted but I was never sure I could make a living as a painter and slowly I built my business over the years. Roughly 20 years ago I quit my job. I knew that if I didn’t give it a shot the years would pass and I would never do it. The moment I went full-time in to the arts I felt like I had walked through the door that the universe had opened. It was meant to be.
What do you do now?
I am a practicing contemporary artist and arts commissioner for the city of West Hollywood. I show in both the United States and Europe and have shown in several of the Asian markets and the Middle East.
Where are you from?
I was born in a rural Alabama town of about 500 people (’64) I now live and work in West Hollywood, Los Angeles.
What is the arts community like there?
In Los Angeles it is amazing! The opportunities that exist there are great if you were willing to do the work. In west Hollywood, where I am in Arts commissioner, the city is very supportive of the arts in every aspect.
In Alabama, the arts opportunities are few and far between for a painter. Growing up I had never met a full-time working artist.
Has where you come from shaped what you do in the arts today?
Yes I was taught that hard work pays off and that if you want something done you do it yourself or you involve the people that you trust and That you know will be there to complete the task.
What is one of your greatest accomplishments in your career so far?
To choose a singular accomplishment as my greatest is difficult but winning the prize for creativity from the Pollock Krasner Foundation must top the list! I was commissioned by the Pio Monte Della Misericordia in Naples for their permanent collection and my work hung next to a Caravaggio for the first two months it was there! That was pretty humbling !
Over the years I have participated in more than 80 international exhibitions which have helped to form my collective experience as a contemporary artist. I have been very fortunate to have good people around me who believed in me and supported me and all the ways that an artist must have in order to survive. I read once that one of the most important things for an artist to make it was a single person to believe in them. I have many!
I am inordinately proud and grateful to the corporate and private collectors who have appreciated, supported and acquired my work. I am one of only three artist which The Pollock-Krasner Foundation has recognized with their award so far.
I am currently preparing for a my first solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale, presented by the MAK center for Art and Architecture and sponsored by the Pollock Krasner Foundation. The Venice Biennale has to be one of the most famous and prestigious cultural organizations in the world and a pinnacle for any artist to achieve.
What has been a challenge for you?
While I have been lucky in gaining recognition and awards by supporters , I believe gaining monetary sponsorships for shows can pose a challenge. To fund raise for an exhibition an artist has to put on a completely different hat, one that most artists don’t understand or want to do. It takes away some of the creativity until you realize that there is a creativity to getting people to support you and making them understand the importance of what you are doing. Artists can’t make it without financial and emotional support for what they are doing.
What is something you do every day at work?
I always take time for myself. I have an old sharper image massage chair that sits in the corner of my studio and has for the past 20 years that I use as my “Contemplative space”. Sometimes I have to force myself to take 10 minutes but it is so important to keep in your mind active and your body healthy and to just be quiet for a small moment of time.
Tell us about how you got into what you do?
I have always been a painter. It brings me to a meditative Zen place that calms me and helps me in every aspect of my life. If I were selling insurance I would still paint because it is better than meditation for me. Becoming a full-time painter took many years. I started painting only on weekends in my garage and slowly moved to Gallery exhibitions and important collections.
What is one of the things most crucial to your practice?
I would say my imagination, good paint and paint brushes. That’s three.
I love Paint! I love the way it smells I love the way it looks and I love the way it creates new world in my imagination. Good representation is also crucial and very difficult to find.
What is something that you would like to share about working in your field?
It is not for the faint of heart! It takes a great deal of work and sometimes a very strong spirit. The art world changes every so many years and what you are doing now may not be important in 10 years or it could be the most important thing that exists in the art world and either way as an artist you have to be prepared to continue doing what you’re doing no matter where the world is.
Are there any tips you’d like to share about working in this industry?
I encourage other artists to be authentic, be informed and committed, and be opened to helping other artists. Other artist are always the people I depend on.
Any other anecdotes about your experience in the art world that you would like to share?
I always find it funny how people see (artist)! I have been here in Venice for the past two weeks installing in a 17th century church and for the most part doing the installation completely by myself. My friends keep saying how much fun I must be having! I’ve hardly seen anything other than the inside of the church and my apartment! Ha ha
What is the best exhibition you have seen in the last year?
I take something from every exhibition that I go to. Some I love and they inspire me, some move me, some offend me, and some I just don’t understand but I find that I learn something from all of them. If I had to choose one it would have to be Mark Bradford at the Hammer. He is one of my favorite artists.
Lastly, if you could own a work by 5 different artists, who would be in your collection?
My personal collection is based around artist that I have worked with around the world and I have a story that goes with every single painting that is in my home but if had could choose 5! My five artist would be Helen Frankenthaler, Mark Rothko, Sean Scully, Agnes Martin, and Mark Bradford. That would be an amazing collection of my muses!
