Robert Williams: Peripheral Bogies, 'Mr. Bitchin'', and a quickie lowbrow thumbnail sketch.

(NOTE: Some images in this friendly post may not be kid-friendly or workplace-friendly, or friendly to certain sensitive individuals.)

I believe the discussion my friends and I were having had wandered onto a topic that included altered states of consciousness, the uniqueness of any individual's perception of reality, fatigued delusions, peripheral vision, inner demons and 'monsters of The Id'. Yes, of course, it's all typical coffee klatsch fare. Along that path, I flashed on the works of Robert Williams, and the image below...

'Peripheral Bogies', acrylic on watercolor paper, 1975 (color)

"This rather strange painting reveals an hysterical woman looking into a mirror which she is holding while being plagued by creatures in her peripheral vision. The double ring vignette around the scene represents the picture as seen by her."

'Peripheral Bogies', 1975 (b&w) (via GoogleBooks)

In describing the image to my friends, I took a brief pass at contextualizing Williams' works for them. This post picks up on that thread. A brief introduction, a jumping-off point to discover more. 

(from wikipedia) 

"Robt. Williams (born March 2, 1943), is an American painter, cartoonist, and founder of Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine." 

His own work and Juxtapoz Magazine contributed to the origin of the term 'Lowbrow Art' and its proliferation as an art movement.

Certainly my first exposure to the world of Williams was as a kid in the 1960s and early '70s, glimpsing contraband issues of Zap Comix, where his artwork appeared alongside that of fellow Underground cartoonists Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson and others. That and seeing his cool Hot Rod art in ads in car culture magazines, during his stint working in the 'Big Daddy' Roth studio.

The Underground Comix and illustrations of the 1960s gave way to more painterly pursuits in the 1970s, '80s and beyond, beyond. Gallery shows, album covers, monographs and book collections...

My strongest recommendation: If you find an opportunity to see any of Robert Williams paintings in person, do it. In small reproductions, we can appreciate the composition, fine line detail, vivid color - - and certainly the vibe, but when you see the full-size work in front of you and can see the loose-but-controlled expressiveness of the brush strokes, you realize you're seeing something else entirely. Do it!

'Appetite For Destruction', 1978.
The banned 'rapey' cover from
Guns N' Roses 1987 debut LP.

Queen Califia, Namesake of California, 2018

Purple As An Inexplicable Color

See ALSO: You can learn more by watching the 2010 documentary"Robert Williams Mr. Bitchin'", currently streaming at YouTube, and elsewhere around the interwebs.

Robert Williams "Mr. Bitchin'" (full documentary) - YouTube (2013, 99 mins.)

Follow links to more…

- Official Website

- ACID HEAD: The Conceptual Realism Of Robert Williams 

- YouTube (2011, 49 mins.)

- Some other Robert Williams / Juxtapoz video links at YouTube

Follow links to more…

- Official Website

- ACID HEAD: The Conceptual Realism Of Robert Williams - YouTube (2011, 49 mins.)

Loudon Sainthill

Loudon Sainthill photographed by Max Dupain, 1946

Loudon Sainthill was an Australian artist and stage and costume designer.

Born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1918, Sainthill grew up in Melbourne. By his early twenties he'd exhibted his paintings in gallery shows and was working professionally in Australia.

Learning and working in Australia in that era made him appear as a bit of an outlier in the art world. His work bore many influences and influenced others in turn. His artistic style continued to blend the fantastic and whimsical with a degree of melancholy and dream-like elements.

Post-WW2, Sainthill worked predominantly in the United Kingdom, designing for numerous stage productions and film. He died in 1969. 

For more info: - A Loudon Sainthill bio, available at The Day Gallery.

Man with Guitar (1958) 

Figure with Guitar, 1950

The Musician

The Woman From a Far Country, 1947

Cover illustration; Ballet Rambert in Australia program

The Dancer, 1950

Costume design for 'The Tempest'

Set design for 'The Tempest'; Prospero's Cell, 1951

Photos below feature Sainthill's set and costume designs for a RSC production of William Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', directed by Michael Benthall at The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, 1951 & 1952

The photos were found at: 'Shakespeare, Decolonisation, and the Cold War', a 2017 PhD thesis by James LeeTaylor, available as a  pdf at The Open University

Sir Ralph Richardson as Prospero, Margaret Leighton as Ariel, in 1952.

Hugh Griffith as Caliban, in 1951.

Hugh Griffith was also a memorable character actor in many films, such as 'Tom Jones' from 1963. (photo at right)

Prospero, Miranda and Caliban in 1952.

Margaret Leighton as Ariel in 1952.

Michael Hordern as Caliban in 1952.

Set design, for The Queen of Shemakhan's Magic Tent from 'Le Coq d'Or'.

Set design: The Ship Pericles

Set design for 'Aladdin', back cloth

The Zebra, costume design, 1958

Costume design from 'Can Heironymus Mirkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppee and Find True Happiness?', 1968

Attendant; Costume design from 'The Man Who Loved Redheads' 1954.

Christmas Card sent to the Misses Wood

Christmas card design 

Acrobat, costume design

Design for Cinderella; Detail drawing of a Tree Candelabra

Loudon Sainthill photographed by John Deakin, early 1950's

Tambourine Player

See also:

- Dozens of Loudon Sainthill works exhibited at The National Gallery of Australia website.