Manning Williams is legendary in a city full of legends. Born in Charleston in 1939, Williams has been a fixture in the Charleston contemporary art scene since he returned to his hometown after doing graduate work at the Pennsylvania Academy. Viewers will be treated this week when an exhibit of his work opens this Friday October 2nd at the Corrigan Gallery in Charleston with a reception from 5 – 8 pm.
Respecting the Past is an exhibit of works from Williams’ studio that focuses on small sketches and etchings from early in his career. These are tiny gems, and in many ways, fitting companions for the small abstracts that he’s been doing for the last several years.
A great raconteur, Williams has always been interested in visual narratives as well. Loosely constructed narratives, whether of individual lives or historical events, have been an important component of his work, indicating his deep sense of connection to a particular place and community.
A small square etching, untitled like most of the rest of these pieces, describes a mound of old tires and roadside trash, a scene you can still find in the edges of wooded, rural areas. He uses the same care and attention to detail to create this composition as in one of the portraits also included in the show. There’s a beauty to the shapes that is in direct contrast to the banality of the subject.
Many of Williams’ large-scale history paintings feature an observer to the action, a lone figure that paddles past the scene of action in a simple canoe. This small monochromatic sketch, a study for one of the larger works, has a loose immediacy that is very different in feel from the more finished pieces. He has very quickly worked out the overall composition and value relationships, relying on a quick, calligraphic mark to define the shapes and forms.
Be sure to drop in to the Corrigan Gallery on Queen Street while the show is up to see the pieces in person.
- The Corrigan Gallery
62 Queen Street, Charleston, SC
10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and by appointment. Later opening every other Monday and Thursdays.
843 722 9868 or art@lesecorrigan.com