Too Late for Roses by William Elliott
The High Street Gallery will host “Je Suis Ame Solitaire,” an exhibition of digital prints by William Elliott, 7-10 p.m., Oct. 11.
The gallery is located in former DIY music venue Victoria House, 2110 Victoria St. in Beaumont.
“High Street Gallery is committed to spotlighting up-and-coming Southeast Texas artists,” Olivia Busceme, gallery director, said. “Billy’s graphic style is unique compared to the other works we’ve shown in the past year and we’re looking forward to sharing it with the public.”
Entry is free and the work will be for sale.
A Beaumont native, Elliott studied at Lamar University and at LSU with a major in graphic design and a minor in photography.
“My work is a series of collages mixed with images to mimic stenciled street art,” he said. “It displays a substantial amount of layering, positive and negative space, as well as sticking to simple color schemes. I wanted to somehow capture the current dreams/nightmares I was having into a series of work. So, basically, it is a dream sequence involving horror, sexual situations, movies and images from 1950’s Americana.
Elliott said his primary influences are David Choe, Willem De Kooning, Matisse, Man Ray, Raoul Hausmann, Bruce Conner, and Peter Phillips.
“I’m not trying to get a message across,” he said. “I’m not trying to change the world. It’s neither religious nor political; it’s art for art’s sake. Art is therapy. If I had to put some sort of message with it, it is that our subconscious mind can influence our waking life. Whether positive or negative, looking into our sleeping self is something I value and will interpret from now on.”
For more information, email victoriahousetx@gmail.com, visit the High Street Gallery Facebook page, or www.nakeddads.com.