William H. Thielen

These works are about extremes, how they need each other to define each other, and the tension that is created when opposites are thrust together. The compositionsósometimes simple, other times complexóaid in the process of building these works.  As the work progresses it evolves. Sometimes black and white is dominant and other times, color, much as life is not alwaysóif everóon an even plain. The black and white tends to be the backbone of each piece. It is about the constant struggle of good and bad, life and death, control, rigidity, andósometimesósick humor. The color is entirely about emotions. They are something we all have, yet many people avoid them. If one does not trust them, they can have a profoundly negative effect. To embrace them leads to a positive integration into oneís self, and a healthy way of expressing them.  No matter what one does, they will always be there. A native of Pierre, South Dakota, with both a B.S. and M.F.A. in Art, Thielen has also studied with Judy Pfaff, Ross Bleckner and Charles Cohen. He has been a full-time studio artist, living and working in Carbondale, Illinois, since 1980. His abstract work runs the gamut: painting, drawing, sculpture, print and installations.

www.williamhthielen.com

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