AUGUST 2ND, 2021
Style isn’t everything and William the Third has none.
William has spent years changing his style, growing and learning. When you go through his instagram you can see that there is no consistency in what can be considered a “look”. The only consistency is the quality of his art.
Inveni
Modern Day Tinker
Low Hanging Fruit
Nostalgia plays a role influencing his work. Not enough to become a defining piece in all of his work but enough to take notice. Growing up in the ‘90s the only way to keep William inside was Nintendo. Through out his work you will occasionally find staples from the Nintendo universe: Mario, Paperboy, Excitebike, etc.
His childhood memories have begun to seep into his art. He doesn’t call this his inspiration but it’s hard to label it as anything but that. Beeple did his “Everydays” to challenge himself to continue to grow and learn as an artist. William is doing the same thing. So when he runs out of ideas he pulls on memories from his childhood to help inspire him to create.
So, almost any adolescent boy that grew up in the ‘90s will relate to Saturday Morning Memories.
Saturday Morning Memories
And what’s he doing with all his knowledge and skill? He gives it away for free. It’s tricky comparing artists to other more famous artists. There are defenders and devout disciples of the established artist and typically the smaller artist is alone in their defense. So if I compared what William is doing to a larger artist, like Beeple, who will come to Williams defense? Will I be chased out of the NFT space with digital pitchforks and GIFs of villagers throwing rotten vegetables at me?
Which leads back to a theme that has cropped up in a lot of the discussions I’ve had on the podcast: the community. William’s giving nature, his devotion to the art world is creating an effect. William is building a following by giving. So if I choose to compare him to Beeple based on his worth ethic, his talent or how he has spent his time by helping other artists grow like him, soon there will be a number of people that know William and will come to his defense. They will know what he has given.
Maybe that is William the Third’s style, giving.
