Rhythm in Relief: LaVon Williams visits Arts Company

The work of artist LaVon Williams offers a contemporary take on the long-held visual traditions of folk art. In his current exhibition at The Arts Company, "Rhythm in Relief," he showcases approximately 50 wooden relief paintings and sculptures that capture the rollicking spirit of jazzy nightclubs, rent parties and close-knit communities.

Curated specifically for its audience in Music City, "Rhythm in Relief" focuses on the artist’s musical imagery. Many pieces feature piano players, percussionists, trumpeters and gyrating dancers. The show decidedly sheds light on Williams’s lighter subject matter, though many of his works — the more important pieces — delve into the darker horrors of the African American experience.

“This show is playful and powerful,” said Arts Company director Anne Brown. “He’s showing us fun images, but he’s also teaching and capturing history for us, which I think is what artists do when they are at their best.”

The exhibit is co-curated by Brown and Matt Collinsworth, the director of Kentucky Folk Art Center. In 1997, Williams’s work was included in the introductory show in the museum. “Ever since then, we’ve maintained a close relationship with him,” said Collinsworth. “His work is prominently represented in our collection.” In 2009, the museum organized a major retrospective of the artist’s output, also titled "Rhythm in Relief."

From court to canvas

Williams’s life story may come at a surprise. A towering figure, he spent the first chapter of his life as a basketball player. From 1976 to 1980, he attended the University of Kentucky on a basketball scholarship; his team won the 1978 NCAA Championship. After graduation, he left to play pro ball in Italy and Japan before returning to the U.S. Williams, who has been making art for over 30 years, now lives in Lexington, Ky., with his wife and two children.

Despite the fact that Williams has a degree in sociology, is well travelled, and currently works as a high school teacher, he is still considered a folk artist, said Collinsworth, because he is self-taught in art and works in a visual aesthetic aligned with traditional folk art.

Collinsworth admits that contemporary folk art can be tricky to define. Historically, the genre was the product of agrarian people living in complete isolation or in remote towns with no access to fine art; however, today’s technology allows nearly any artist, regardless of their location, to easily access fine art images and information. It seems that now, folk art is more of an aesthetic choice than a socio-economical construct.

Williams learned to carve wood from his older brother, who had learned the skill from their uncle. “My uncle was a true folk artist,” said Williams. “He worked on a farm and carved horses and cows to pass time. As he got older, he would carve frames, hearts, and his main thing: lovers.”

Among his other influences, Williams counts artists like Picasso, Ernie Barnes, Jacob Lawrence, Diego Rivera and William Henry Johnson. As important to him as visual artists are musicians like Miles Davis and Charles Mingus.

“My father always listened to blues records, and in the neighborhood I lived in there were always clubs and music,” Williams said of his subject matter. “That’s where a lot of it comes from.”

Williams uses two tools to carve: a chisel and mallet. Each relief starts as plank of wood, from pine to oak and anything in between. After laying out his composition in pencil, he begins carving, usually starting with the lowest points and working his way to the shallowest details. To paint the carved wood, he uses either oil or fabric paint. Due to variations in the translucence of the paint and shades of wood, he said he never gets the same color twice. “It’s always something different.”

As a whole, Williams' art seems to respond to an innate desire to tell an important story about the triumphs and the sorrows of the African-American experience. “He’s not just playing, he’s passionate,” said Brown. “He can’t not do what he’s doing.”

“It’s a part of my spirit,” said Williams of his art. “It’s something I’ve always done, and it has always excited me. It’s also like a therapy session; my mind runs constantly, so it gives me an outlet.”

If you go:

What: "Rhythm in Relief: The Art of LaVon Williams" at the Arts Company

Where: 215 5th Avenue of the Arts

When: Exhibition on view through Sept. 10

Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

Admission: free