[1] Active in the mid-twentieth century, the Fort Worth-based artist became known for his inventive, abstracted sculptures, steering away from traditional, life-like renderings then popular in Texas.
[1] Williams employed his engineering skills to visualize 2D renderings in 3D form, demonstrating masterful dexterity across his work, especially when creating symmetry and repeating elements in pieces like Lead Head (1964) and Fun with Freud (1964).
[1] Many of his significant works were considered organic abstractions, primarily influenced by European artists encountered during his time in Paris, including Picasso, Braque, Miró, Giacometti, Brancusi, and Arp.
[1] Captivated by Mesoamerican culture, Williams traveled to Mexico, Yucatán, and Guatemala, to study their art; his piece, Earth Mother (1958), drew inspiration from Chacmool's reclining pose, upright head, and raised knees.
[1] Williams also fashioned humorous assemblages in playful reference to his artistic peers; The Exhibitionist (1962) – a portrait of Jim Love – and Moritz the Elephant (1965) are two such examples of his sculptural translation of conversations with friends.
[1] His pieces created for long-time patron, Ted Weiner, were tributes to his inspirations – Calder is the Only One (1955) and Earth Mother (1958), which honors similar work by Moore.
[1] In his later works, Williams began experimenting with color by using automobile paints and coating processes in pieces like Veritable Apparition (1965), Components (1965), and Small Blue Torus (1966).