Born in 1969 in the San Francisco Bay Area, he grew up playing in punk bands, making fliers and album cover art. Willson’s artistic inspirations draw from his early years as a touring musician, house painter and building designer; his subject matter is abstract and self revealing. He has also been a prolific poet since his freshman year in high school. His writing is an essential part of his creative process. Recently, he self-published two volumes of poetry entitled San Francisco Morning Fog Horns Make Me Happy. Vol. one, 2014. Vol. two, 2015.
Willson currently lives and practices art in San Francisco. He has participated in numerous group shows throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Resume
Education
Self-Taught
Awards
1988 Say No To Drugs Poster Award, Nancy Regan, The White House, Washington, DC
1987 Photography Contest for Young People, California Academy of Science, San Francisco, CA
Solo Exhibitions
2016 Cyclops Hunting, Gallery 60SIX, San Francisco, CA
2015 ArtSpan’s Open Studios, Studio, San Francisco, CA
2014 Coastal Mass, San Francisco Design Center, San Francisco, CA
2014 ArtSpan’s Open Studios, Studio, San Francisco, CA
2013 ArtSpan’s Open Studios, Studio, San Francisco, CA
2013 Do Thoughts Have Mass?, Green Apple, Danville, CA
2012 ArtSpan’s Open Studios, Studio, San Francisco, CA
2012 Cyclops Hunting, Barnet’s Salon, San Francisco, CA
Group Exhibitions
2018 Yoga Studio & 60SIX, San Francisco, with Leigh Barbier, Oliver DiCicco, Donna Anderson, Dave King, Heike Liss, Isabelle Maynard, Steve Molnar, Sean Silk, Sally Smith, Anne Terpstra, Laina Terpstra, Jurgen Trautwein, Peter Whitehead
2017 Jimi’s Yard, 1526 Haight Street, SF, with Ando, Alan Gonzales, Max Johnson, Lammert VW, Jordan Hill, Chris Gruninski, Summer Sigh, Jordon Gruner, Althea James, Caley Akridge, Gary Bradley, Sam Zentner, John Longyear, Niwa(Rachel) Davis, Jenna Meacham, Leina’ala Lau, Sean Silk, Mark Ochinero, Josh Berger, Stephen Cowdrey, Ezra Denman, Mitch clark
2016 Showroom Kneedler-Fauchere, San Francisco, represented by Gallery 60SIX
2016 Inhabit Pop Up, China Town, San Francisco,CA with Altea James, J. Lammert, Justin Robinson, Kelly O’Grady, Caley Akridge, John Longyear, Alan Gonzalez, Sean Silk, Niwa davis, Jordan Hill
2015 100 Years of DADA, Streamline Salon, SF with Michael Jang, David King, Peter Whitehead, Sean Silk, Caley Akridge, Lammert VW, Rachel Davis, Gwen Terpstra, Leigh Barbier, Jurgen Trautwein
2015 Showroom Kneedler-Fauchere, San Francisco, represented by Gallery 60SIX
2014-2015 I Am The Sea, Beachside, San Francisco, CA with Michelle Willson
2013 Parallel Views, Jubilee Studio, San Francisco, CA with Michelle Willson
2013 ArtSpan Open Studios Group Show, SOMArts Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2012 ArtSpan Open Studios Group Show, SOMArts Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1997 Mission Community Art Show, with Chris Johanson & Chris Corales & many more, Star Cleaners, San Francisco, CA
1996 Group Show, Craig’s List, San Francisco, CA
1988 Redwood City Spring Arts and Crafts Show, Redwood City, CA
1988 Peninsula Photo Festival, Redwood City, CA
1987 Photography Contest for Young People, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA
Album Covers
2007 Axe Records, The Impalers “Blood, Rum and Reggae”, CD
2003 Asian Man Records, Rudiments “Circle Our Empire”, CD
2002 Shrunken Head Records, 78 RPM’s “Pulsator”, CD
1999 Cheetah’s Records, 78 RPM’s “Figure It Out”, 45’s
1998 Dill Records, 78 RPM’s “New World Chivalry”, CD
1998 Dill Records, 78 RPM’s “Go EP”, CD
1998 Dill Records, 78 RPM’s “The Longest Way Home”, 45’s
1996 Dill Records, Rudiments’ “Bitch Bitch Bitch”, CD
1995 Beach Recordings, “Skank For Brains”, CD
1995 Dill Records, Rudiments “Terror in the Heartland”, 45’s
1993 Beach Recordings, Rudiments “Spoon”, 45’s
1993 Pinche Gringo Records, “The Suspects / Rudiments”, 45’s
Auctions
2014 Sintaro Art Bash, Danville Veterans Hall, Danville, CA
Private Collectors
Eric Eidel & Kelly Kaufman
Lars Nylander & Victoria Mauleon
Harry Maguire & Peter Young
Charles Himmelblau
Cynthia Cummins
Cheryl Hochstatter
Craig & Joey Mazzera
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