Press Release: For Immediate Release
Exhibition: Owen Williams: Kinetic Paintings
Dates: January 16th - February 25th
Opening Reception: Fri., January 23rd from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Temple Gallery, 330 South Scott Avenue, in the Temple of Music and Art. The Temple Gallery is managed by Etherton Gallery.
Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday, 10-6 p.m. and prior to performances
Contact: Terry Etherton, Jerre Johnston, Hannah Glasston 624-7370

Contents:
Owen Willians "kinetic paintings" are three-dimensional works that combine visual puns and images from the history of art. Williams paints separate images on facings of triangular strips of wood, which are then cut and mounted vertically. Initially William's paintings dealt with the exploration of color relationships and contrasting geometric forms. Increasingly intrigued by the narrative possibilities inherent in his technique he began a series with a strong narrative element, as he states, "a type of pictorial storytelling."

In past work, Williams questioned our euphemistic references for death and our occasional worldly denial of it, by juxtaposing and contrasting images that reflect the fleeting quality of life. On the left and right faces were images symbolizing the transiency of life and the certainty of death. Moving from left to right the viewer participated in this duality, making a perceptual transition from life to death. Contemporary versions of a favorite seventeenth century genre of painting called Vanitas , these sumptuous still-life paintings were symbolic expressions of time and its passing. In some works he hinged additional panels, playing on the metaphorical qualities of mirroring - reflection, looking out and in, as well as establishing a relationship between the painted image and the space the viewer occupies.

In his current work, Williams continues to explore the metaphorical aspects of the narrative, inviting the viewer to participate in the mysterious complexities of a story that begins with the personal navigation of meaning.