William Wallace III is a Black painter and educator currently working in Philadelphia. Through the use of abstract portraiture and found materials, he expresses the internal schema of people trying to maintain in this moment of socio-political upheaval. Scrap wood from new developments, stretched bed sheets, and early 20th century windows from neighborhoods in the early stages of gentrification have been some of his favorites since moving to West Philadelphia in 2013. These materials hold history and the figures in his paintings feel like ghost haunting our shifting landscapes.
Pen to a Gun Fight, 2017
Mixed media
36"x 48"
According to the artist, “This piece is a snapshot of an altercation between an ambiguous non-white body and a pig/cop/either/both/what’s the difference (ACAB)”. Pen to a Gun Fight draws into question the efficacy of reason, words, and art in the highly organized brutality. Is the pen mightier than the gun? The viewer can sort that out.
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