Kent Williams (artist): Difference between revisions

{{Short description|American painter and graphic novel artist}}

| website = {{url|kentwilliams.com}}

Williams was born in [[New Bern, North Carolina]].<ref name="Bak">{{cite web|url= http://www.bakmagazine.com/interviews/10/kent-williams|title= Interview with Kent Williams|year= 2010|publisher= [[BAK (magazine)|BAK]]|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130510114837/http://bakmagazine.com/interviews/10/kent-williams|archivedate= May 10, 2013|url-status= dead|accessdate= November 21, 2013}}</ref> He attended the [[Pratt Institute]] in New York City<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.lambiek.net/artists/w/williams_kent.htm|title= Kent Williams|year= 2013|publisher= [[Lambiek|Lambiek Comiclopedia]]|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120506180231/http://lambiek.net/artists/w/williams_kent.htm|archivedate= May 6, 2012|url-status= live|accessdate= November 21, 2013}}</ref> and graduated in 1984.<ref name="Bak" />

From 1983 to 1985, Kent Williams was a regular contributor to [[Marvel Comics]]' ''[[Epic Illustrated]]''. He collaborated with writer [[J. M. DeMatteis]] on ''[[Blood: A Tale]]'' in 1987 and with writers [[Walt Simonson|Walt]] and [[Louise Simonson]] and co-artist [[Jon J Muth]] on ''[[Havok (comics)|Havok]] and [[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]]: Meltdown'' the following year.<ref name="Bails">{{cite book |authorlink=Jerry Bails |last1=Bails |first1=Jerry |first2=Hames |last2=Ware |url=http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=WILLIAMS%2c+KENT |title=Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928-1999 |chapter=Williams, Kent |accessdate=November 21, 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122040425/http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=WILLIAMS%252c+KENT |archivedate=November 22, 2013 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> The latter series was a result of Williams and Muth's desire to work on a project together.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/280544/the-many-faces-of-comics-world-s-kent-williams/story/|title= The many faces of comics world's Kent Williams|date= November 1, 2012|publisher= GMA News Online|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20180808073205/https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/280544/the-many-faces-of-comics-world-s-kent-williams/story/|archivedate= August 8, 2018|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|quote= The 1988 four-parter ''Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown'' came about because Williams wanted to work with Jon J. Muth, and they developed the story with the writers. Williams worked on the Wolverine art while Muth did the Havoc art.}}</ref> Williams was the regular cover artist for [[DC Comics]]' ''[[Hellblazer]]'' in 1990–1991.<ref>{{Citation|last= Irvine|first= Alex|author-link= Alexander C. Irvine|contribution= John Constantine Hellblazer|editor-last = Dougall|editor-first= Alastair|title= The Vertigo Encyclopedia|pages= 102–111|publisher= [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year= 2008|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn = 978-0-7566-4122-1|oclc = 213309015}}</ref> Comics historian [[Les Daniels]] noted that Williams' "impressionistic painting style is an example of the new look that DC's [[Vertigo (DC Comics)|Vertigo]] line brought to comics."<ref>{{cite book|last = Daniels|first = Les|authorlink = Les Daniels|title = DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Comic Book Heroes|publisher = [[Little, Brown and Company|Bulfinch Press]]|year = 1995|location= New York, New York|page = 226|isbn = 0821220764}}</ref> Williams drew the "Fear of Falling" short story for ''Vertigo Preview'' #1 (1993) which featured the [[The Sandman (Vertigo)|Sandman]] and was written by [[Neil Gaiman]].<ref>{{cite book|last = Bender|first = Hy|title = The Sandman Companion|publisher = DC Comics|year = 1999|location= New York, New York|page = 270|isbn = 978-1563894657}}</ref> In 2006 he illustrated a graphic novel adaptation of ''[[The Fountain (comics)|The Fountain]]'' from the script by filmmaker [[Darren Aronofsky]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cowsill|first1= Alan|last2=Dolan|first2=Hannah, ed.|chapter= 2000s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9|page= 327}}</ref>

His work has been the subject of a number of solo exhibitions including shows in New York City; San Francisco; Sundance, Utah; the [[Nasher Museum of Art]], Durham, North Carolina;<ref>{{cite web |url= http://allenspiegelfinearts.com/wp/kent-williams/|title= Kent Williams|date= n.d.|publisher= Allen Spiegel Fine Arts|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20131122052950/http://allenspiegelfinearts.com/wp/kent-williams/|archivedate=November 22, 2013 |url-status= live|accessdate= November 21, 2013}}</ref> in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he is represented by Evoke Contemporary Gallery;<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.santafegalleryassociation.org/santafe-news/kent-williams-ophthalm/|title= Kent Williams: Ophthalm|year= 2013|publisher= Santa Fe Gallery Association|archiveurl= https://archive.today/20131122045612/http://www.santafegalleryassociation.org/santafe-news/kent-williams-ophthalm/|archivedate= November 22, 2013|url-status= dead|accessdate= November 21, 2013}}</ref> and in Los Angeles, where he is represented by [[The Merry Karnowsky Gallery]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mkgallery.com/kentwilliams-press.html|title= Press|date= n.d.|location= Los Angeles, California|publisher= [[The Merry Karnowsky Gallery]]|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130514072215/http://www.mkgallery.com/kentwilliams-press.html|archivedate= May 14, 2013|url-status= dead|accessdate= November 21, 2013}}</ref> His painting ''Trace Double-Portrait'' was exhibited at the [[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]] in Washington, D.C., as part of the Outwin Boochever 2006 Portrait Exhibition.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.npg.si.edu/competition/site/exhibition/PeoplesChoiceAward/AllFinalists.aspx|title= Exhibition Finalists|year= 2006|location= Washington, D.C.|publisher= [[National Portrait Gallery (United States)|National Portrait Gallery]]|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20130622061726/http://www.npg.si.edu/competition/site/exhibition/PeoplesChoiceAward/AllFinalists.aspx|archivedate= June 22, 2013|url-status= dead|accessdate= November 21, 2013}}</ref>

Williams is the recipient of a number of awards for his work, including the {{Interlanguage link multi|Yellow Kid Award|de|3=Yellow Kid (Preis)|lt=Yellow Kid Award}}, [[Lucca Comics & Games|Lucca, Italy's]] comics award.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.figurativepainters.com/kent_williams|title= Kent Williams: figure drawings and paintings|year= 2013|publisher= Figurativepainters.com|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20131122051515/http://www.figurativepainters.com/kent_williams|archivedate=November 22, 2013 |url-status= live|accessdate= November 21, 2013}}</ref> In 2001, he was invited to be a fellow at the [[Sundance Film Festival|Sundance]] Filmmakers Lab in Sundance, [[Utah]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://filmguide.sundance.org/film/FN3896/kokoro|title= Kokoro|year= 2001|publisher= Sundance.org|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20131122050624/http://filmguide.sundance.org/film/FN3896/kokoro|archivedate=November 22, 2013 |url-status= live|accessdate= November 21, 2013}}</ref>

===Byron Preiss Visual Publications===

* ''The Ray Bradbury Chronicles'' #1 (1992)

===Darkstorm Productions===

* ''Darkstorm'' #1, 2 (1982)

* ''[[The Sandman (Vertigo)|Sandman Special]]'' #1 (one page) (1991)<!--This is listed under the main DC Comics section because it was published before Vertigo launched in 1993 -->

* ''Tell Me, Dark'' GN (1992)

* ''[[Fight for Tomorrow]]'' #1–6 (2002–2003)

* ''[[The Fountain (comics)|The Fountain]]'' GN (2005)

* ''[[Eclipse Magazine]]'' #3, 7 (1981–1982)

* ''[[Sabre (Eclipse Comics)|Sabre]]'' #7, 8 (1983)

===Last Gasp===

* ''[[Strip AIDS|Strip AIDS U.S.A.]]'' (1988)

* ''[[Marvel Fanfare]]'' #40 (one page) (1988)

* [[Wolverine: Killing]] (1993)

* ''[[A1 (comics)|A1]]'' vol. 2 #3 (1992)

* ''Clive Barker's Book of the Damned: A Hellraiser Companion'' #4 (1993)

* ''[[Hellraiser (franchise)|Clive Barker's Hellraiser]]'' #1, 4 (1989–1990)

===New Media Publishing===

* ''The Comic Times, Media Showcase'' #7 (1981)

{{reflist|25em}}

* {{isfdb name|23090}}

* {{LCAuth|n88035045|Kent Williams|8|}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:20th-century American artists]]

[[Category:21st-century American artists]]

[[Category:ArtCenter College of Design faculty]]

[[Category:American art educators]]

[[Category:DC Comics people]]

[[Category:Marvel Comics people]]