As the godfather of the lowbrow and pop surrealist art movements and founder of Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine, Robert Williams and his work have made a significant mark on contemporary art. We asked a few Baton Rouge-based artists to share the impact Williams has had on the work they produce today.
First up: printmaker and painter Kelsey Livingston.
Kelsey Livingston, Turf War, 2016, relief print on paper, 36 x 36 inches
"The low-brow, pop surrealist, or feral art movement has been incredibly influential to my art practice. This is a group of folks who took the time to learn all the rules, to learn the theories, and take part in the current conversations surrounding contemporary art all while maintaining a special kind of subversive flair that I find alluring. Robert Williams, in particular, utilizes an aesthetic that feels almost claustrophobic. When he wants to, he will fill a composition to the brim with activity that pushes all the air out of the room. Things spill outward toward the viewer in a way that is somehow at once confrontational, and erudite."
"While I don't seek to emulate his work, because they are his voice after all and not my own, I do like to push the limits of space in my own compositions and blur the boundaries between what's considered high art, and (the somewhat ostracized realm of) illustration. I am thankful for these brave painters who laid the ground work and set the presidents for what 'counts' as art."
To learn more about Livingston and her work, visit www.kelseylivingstonart.com, or follow @Kelseylivingstonart on Instagram and "Artist Kelsey Livingston" on Facebook.