Artist Statement
“American Dream” in collaboration with Sabrina Habib, are miniature dioramas set out to challenge meaning in visual communications used in storytelling. The exploration comes from the usage of the camera and how it has changed over the very short period of time in existence. Many twentieth century photographers spent their career capturing “the decisive moment” what if the camera was removed from these moments and the image had to be reconstructed from memory thus challenging this short existence? Discoveries in Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation and the hyperreality that we seem to exist in currently helped push the level of exaggeration and dream-like quality. The camera of choice used in this work was a Betterlight 4×5 scanning back with a Sinar X and Schnieder glass. Williams and Habib have exhibited in galleries in the US and internationally.
Film based black and white work from the early 2000, shot on Bronica, Ilford film, Agfa paper with negative distress and some reverse process printing. Each image is a recreation of an iconic painting or sculpture.