Malicious Resplendence: The Paintings of Robt. Williams

The Stranger, Seattle
An arresting, influential body of paintings whose best qualities can only be seen live, or in this exquisitely produced volume.

New Times LA
A stunning retrospective that, if thrown heartily, could brain a horse.

From the introduction by Walter Hopps, former Curator of the Smithsonian's 20th Century American Art Collection
A lucid and lyrical, violent and apocalyptic windshield to view the chaotic landscape of our culture.

Book Description
The definitive collection of paintings by outsider icon Robert Williams. Simply put, this is the coffee-table collection of the paintings of Robert Williams, one of the most lauded and controversial American painters of the 20th Century. Williams sprang from the hot rod culture of Southern California and the roots of underground comix, ultimately transcending both by cultivating a mastery of oil paints and forging a career as the preeminent artist among a generation of painters gathering inspiration from the shadowed corners of contemporary culture. Williams singlehandedly became the model of the "Outsider" art movement, influencing a generation of artists to create without concern for the fine art world, which Williams held in contempt (a feeling reciprocated in kind for years until recently, with Williams's past two shows at Tony Shafrazi's New York gallery selling out before opening night. Originally released in 1997 and now back in print, Malicious Resplendence features over 200 full-color paintings spanning Williams' life and career, reproduced with breathtaking clarity (no small feat with Williams' hyper-kinetic visions). Along with a comprehensive and carefully compiled retrospective of Williams' body of work, the book also features extensive biographical information by critic C.R. Stecyk, an introduction by noted curator Walter Hopps, and dozens of rare and never-before-seen photos of the artist and related ephemera.

About the Author
Robert Williams is represented by the Tony Shafrazi Gallery of New York City, and lives in Chatsworth, CA with his wife Suzanne.


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The definitive collection of the oeuvre of the infamous low-brow artist Robert Williams. This is simply the most handsome book in the 23 year history of Fantagraphics. 300 pages in a 12' x 12' full-color format features over 200 paintings spanning Williams' life and career, reproduced with breathtaking clarity on glossy paper.


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