In his work, LA-based artist Michael Williams merges photographic and painting techniques—borrowing the “cool detachment” of photography and exploring the lighter history that this medium brings to works, unburdened by many centuries of reference points. In a current show at Galerie Eva Presenhuber in Zurich he shows two bodies of work; one comprising inkjet paintings derived from photographed portraits, the other appropriating representational drawings combined with collage as source materials for final paintings. “Though these works are highly conceptual, they bear a strong commitment to classical painting. Whether Williams composes his paintings on canvas or screen, they are informed by art history and pop-cultural iconography,” says the gallery. The artist adds a bit of humour in there too, as this title—Cool Macho Man in Nature—alludes to.
