Puff Puff Past06.05 2009
Liberal Arts
William Buzzell “Liberal Arts” new paintings about Providence’s library system
Sunday, June 7th, 2009 – 4pm-7pm
AS220 – Street Exhibition Space
115 Empire St.
Providence, RI 02903
AS220 is pleased to display the creations from William Buzzell’s month long artist residency at the organization in our street window exhibition space on Empire St. For the month of May, William has worked closely with staff at the Providence library system, including Richard Ring, head of Special Collections, to delve into the library’s long history. As the son of a librarian himself, a former employee of the Rockefeller Library and the Sciences Library at Brown University, and also a generally avid user of libraries for both pleasure and for the meticulous research his work requires, libraries make a decidedly natural subject matter for Buzzell. Culminating from this work is a large sculptural painting evoking library bookshelves, its contents offering both inherent analysis and objective glimpses of aspects of the Providence Library system from its 1875 conception to the current day. Buzzell states, “Although there are failures and problems in the Providence Public Library, I hope the painting will reflect the dedicated people, the various community outreach programs, and the admirable mission statement of the PPL as well. I strive for this work to be an unbiased portrait of a complicated library system in a struggling post-industrial city in the present period of technological advancement and economic slowdown.”
William Buzzell creates highly detailed, painstakingly rendered paintings from everyday, rough materials, most commonly house paint and found wood. His use of 3D sculptural elements in many of his pieces is also noteworthy and characteristic of many of his works. Buzzell obsessively researches his topics and experiments visually with the organization and presentation of the synthesized information. Subjects explored range from class issues, identity, modern culture, science, history, and the arts and share the aesthetic of science fair projects, natural history museum displays, and public service announcements. Since 2005, William Buzzell has had several solo shows in New York, California, and Canada. Over the last eight years, Buzzell has also played his part in numerous group shows across the United States and has exhibited his artwork as far as London, Stolkholm, and the Philippines.
William Buzzell was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island and is often associated with the now legendary art community that flourished there in the late 90’s. Some of his work was published in the late, Paper Rodeo, an anthology of Providence comics and art. Buzzell also attended Parsons The New School for Design in New York City where he pursued illustration. He currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as part of the Space 1026 artist collective. He loves to remind everyone that he is a proud Eagle Scout.
For more information about the artist, the exhibit, the AIR program or AS220 please contact:
Cheryl Kaminsky
AS220 Communications Director
401.831.9327
cheryl@as220.org