Written by Nicole Gaudier, Curatorial Intern
The Cummer is excited to present The Prints of William Walmsley, an exhibit that will highlight the works by Walmsley in The Cummer’s permanent collection. Bill Walmsley holds the record for the longest series of prints in the history of art. His alter ego “Ding Dong Daddy” is the subject of this series of prints that began in the 1960s. This self-exploration continued until his death in 2003.
William Walmsley was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1923. Known as Bill, he served in World War II before attending college. He was stationed in various places including France and the United Kingdom. At the end of the War, he took classes at the Arts Students League from 1951-52.
He experimented with the French styles of the time, and was involved in some action painting, but he returned to lithography 1962. He played homage to Gorky throughout his works. In 1968, he began to experiment with Day-Glo colors- which were considered the epitome of bad taste and in line with commercial art and kitsch.
His works are in the collections of the High Museum of Art, Muscarelle Museum at William and Mary, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Mint Museum, and Columbus Museum, among others.
This exhibition will be held in the Jacobsen Gallery from October 29, 2013 to July 8, 2014.
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