Grant Williams
Grant's work explores dissonance in the conventions of theatre, dance, and performance to explore the trouble of masking and concealing oneself in society.
About
His work embraces the carnivalesque and uses kaleidoscopic visuals shown in model environments. As a former film student, Williams has recently begun to investigate printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics.
The centrepiece of his new exhibition is the Masking Theatre. It is a model stage set made of hand-crafted ceramic tiles, reprocessed wood, painted boards, plaster, and found objects. Its design is modelled after the memory of an abandoned theatre that Williams visited in Sheffield and is constructed from found or hand-made material. Williams uses projections and spotlights to add drama and theatricality to the set.
The film shows hand-animated bodies, puppets, and abstract landscapes transforming over time. Williams hopes to create a strange and captivating performance surrounding the film projected. The ballet show I am Kurious Oranj by Michael Clark, the animated film Street of Crocodiles by the Quay Brothers, and the avant-garde films directed by Shūji Terayama in the 1970s are a source of inspiration for this work.
Masking Theatre Still
Model stage set made of hand-crafted ceramic tiles, reprocessed wood, painted boards, plaster, and found objects.
Puppet Triptych
Three puppets framed by ceramic tiles.
Masking Theatre Design Print
Litho Print of Design of Masking Theatre
Masking Dance
Dance photographed and then sequenced into stop-motion animation.
Gallery: Masking Theatre
Model stage set made of hand-crafted ceramic tiles, reprocessed wood, painted boards, plaster, and found objects.
Gallery: Puppet Triptych
Three puppets framed by ceramic tiles.
Gallery: Mask Dance
Dance photographed and then sequenced into stop-motion animation.
Support this graduate
Grant is open to commissions and is very interested in collaborating on projects.
Contact him by email to get in touch!