The Last Bookstore LA is pleased to welcome local legend Robert Williams to celebrate the release of the new fine art collection, Robert Williams: The Father of Exponential Imagination, from Fantagraphics Books. This 484 volume is a comprehensive, career-spanning collection of the iconic painter’s fine art, including over 300 oil paintings as well as drawings, sculptures, and more. Simply put, this is the definitive collection that Williams has been working towards his entire career.
In addition to hundreds of paintings, drawings, and sculptures, Robert Williams: The Father of Exponential Imagination features an introductory essay by Coagula Art Journal founder Mat Gleason (who will interview Williams onstage at this event), a new foreword and annotations by Williams himself, rare photos, artifacts, and ephemera.
This alternative art movement found its most apt participant in one of America’s most controversial underground artists, the painter, Robert Williams. Born in 1943, Williams pursued a career as a fine arts painter for years before joining the art studio of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth in the mid-1960s. As the famous custom car builder’s art director, he moved into the rebellious, anti-war circles of early Underground Comix. In 1968, Williams linked up with the infamous San Francisco group that piloted the flagship of the miscreant cartoon world, Zap Comix. In 1994, he founded Juxtapoz Magazine to celebrate urban alternative and underground contemporary art and confront the art establishment that is responsible for the emptiness and banality of most gallery- and museum-displayed art. He lives with his wife, Suzanne Williams, in Los Angeles.
Note: This event is free to attend. A purchased ticket includes – and is the same price as – the book! I.e. you only need to purchase a ticket if you want to be guaranteed a copy of the book for the signing.
