A new art series focusing on "working hands" is going to be featured at ARTS/West from Dec. 2 through Jan. 6.
Anthony Wilson, an artist in Marietta, Ohio, is using drawings of people’s hands to tell a story.
Wilson began working on his series called “Working Hands” two years ago, and now he’s ready to display 10 pieces of work at ARTS/West, 132 W. State St., Wednesday beginning at 6:30 p.m. The artwork will be displayed from Dec. 2 through Jan. 6.
Kelly Lawrence, events coordinator and the gallery coordinator at ARTS/West, said she has known Wilson for awhile and has been trying to have his “photo realistic” work featured in the gallery for a couple of years.
“The photo realistic aspect of them — it’s amazing,” she said. “I’m always really impressed by an artist’s ability, especially when they do something that’s photo realistic. I find it’s very challenging to try to do that to begin with, so someone who is able to do it with such skill and beauty is really quite stunning.”
For each piece in the on-going series, Wilson said he wanted to take the time to interview and photograph his subjects before doing the graphite drawings so he could learn about the person and his or her passion. For the piece titled “Automotive Hands,” Wilson said he went to a man’s garage and talked to him about his years spent drag racing.
“I got to go to his garage and see his pictures everywhere and watch him talk about something he loves doing. I cherish those memories — being able to see these people relive something they really really care about,” Wilson said.
Another piece titled "Sewing Hands," he said, has result in people hugging and thanking him because the drawing reminded those people of an old memory. The drawing features an elderly woman who spent her life as a seamstress. He added that looking at the photos of the women brought back “cherished memories” of his grandmother and her sewing machines.
“There are people and things we do in our lives (that) we don’t normally think matter until later in life,” Wilson said. “A lot of the drawings that will be on display — as I’ve talked to people and as I’ve done them — it brings up memories they didn’t realize mattered.”
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The drawings, Wilson said, are not the only part of the display. Many of the drawings are framed in vintage windows and have a theme that reflects the drawing, he said. For example, the “Sewing Hands” piece has a frame with needles, threads and a yardstick.
Wilson plans to continue his series, so if he has another art exhibit in Athens in the future, all of the photos in the "Working Hands" series would be entirely different. He has a list of ideas and plans to continue the series. He added that he hopes the series continues to allow people to remember a nearly forgotten memory.
“The point of art is to bring up and make people have a reaction. Some people look for good, some people look for bad, but I want people to remember something that means something to them and maybe look at their life a little differently and pass along the memories to someone else so they don’t fade away into nothing.”
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