#william monk

William Monk

 Sea of Cloud II, 2018

Truly unique and fascinating works by British artist William Monk.

Monk's artwork is characterized by its atmospheric and vibrant nature, featuring enigmatic and otherworldly forms. He often employs semi-abstract techniques and draws inspiration from the rich history and tradition of painting. His work often encompasses multiple pieces that are connected by a common theme or source of inspiration.

His latest paintings, like his previous work, defy easy categorization and interpretation. According to the artist, the process of creation is often an unconscious one, with the meaning and significance of the work becoming clearer only after it's completed. He states, “Only after the work is complete do I become aware of specific past experiences that helped to inform it— perhaps in the same way that a dream picks up on certain conscious moments and twists them.”

The Divided Cell (paravent), 2015, by William Monk, part of his exhibition, The Cloud is Growing in the Trees at Kohn Gallery in 2015. This was the artist’s first exhibition in California.

From the Kohn Gallery’s press release-

…This exhibition is the culmination of Monk’s practice over the last few years during which time he has created universes within his paintings that reflect on the relationship of the object and spectator.

In Monk’s paintings a sense of repetition breaks down the figuration, creating visual mantras in which the human scale of the work increases this subtlety rather than amplifying the model. This rhythm happens throughout Monk’s work, surrendering figurative logic to arrive at something stranger and more powerful. Beautifully atmospheric and energetic, these paintings invite a more direct physical connection, drawing in the space between our inner and outer realms of experience.

The artist’s unique relationship to image and paint lead him to enigmatic subject matter such as forests, galaxies, and the open road. The Cloud is Growing in the Trees underscores this mysterious, almost psychedelic relationship that invites the viewer in as an active participant.