March 2014
Artist’s Statement
It’s a privilege to photograph the same timeless surroundings from which Renaissance Masters once drew inspiration. Every time I visit the vast rural areas of Europe, I expect the beauty to have succumbed to the trappings of modernity and tourism. But time and again, these enduring lands manage to enchant me as it must have those centuries ago.
We live in a world so eager for change, it’s incredibly comforting to travel through lands so in touch with their fertile pasts. The inhabitants are no different; their welcoming smiles and cheerful conversation echo the lands’ hospitable heritages.
Biography
“Before I lift my camera, I always open myself up to the moment and trust my emotions to dictate and inspire a compelling story. Whether I’m shooting a portrait or a landscape, my purpose always remains the same: to establish a connection with the subject and to produce utterly ‘real’ moments. The emotions are raw. Sometimes private. Always Honest.”
Jimmy Williams is a fine art and assignment photographer based in Raleigh, NC. He studied visual design at North Carolina State University, and shortly thereafter, opened an independent studio where he established himself as a successful and award-winning assignment photographer. Now, more than thirty-five years later, Williams devotes much of his time to personal photography endeavors, nurturing and maturing his photography into significant bodies of work. Three of Williams’ series, “Tuscany”, “Music Makers” and “Our Waters” have been showcased in solo exhibits, most recently at the Block Gallery in Raleigh, NC, and The Contemporary Art Center of Virginia. His work has graced the walls of The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.; The Center for Fine Art Photography in Colorado; The Eisner Museum in Wisconsin; and the Gregg Museum of Art & Design in North Carolina. Williams is also represented at John Cleary Gallery in Houston, TX, and Open Shutter Gallery in Durango, CO. Photography from his “Music Makers” series was also acquired by the City of Raleigh for its permanent collection.
Williams has been awarded an Excellence Award by Color magazine; Merit of Excellence for Nature Photography at the Masters Cup Awards; Outstanding Achievement in Photography at the International Spider Awards; and 2nd place Deeper Perspective Photographer of the year at the Lucie Awards Gala at the Lincoln Center, NYC. Other recent accolades include: 1st place at Center’s Singular Image Awards, Fine Art Photographer of the Year at The International Spider Awards in 2004, and editorial features in The New York Times Lens Project, Lenswork, Rangefinder, Photo District News, B&W, Color, Communication Arts, and Graphis magazine.
http://www.jimmywilliamsphotography.com/
