Christopher Williams: The Production Line of Happiness, Whitechapel Gallery

Whitechapel Gallery stages the first UK retrospective of the celebrated American artist/photographer Christopher Williams this summer, with more than 50 images taken over his distinguished 35-year career. Following rave reviews from the incarnations at the Art Institute of Chicago, and MoMA, New York – this is the perfect time to catch this erudite exhibition in London.
Christopher Williams biography
Christopher Williams studied at the California Institute of the Arts in the 1970s, riding the first wave of West Coast conceptual art induced by John Baldessari and others. He later became a leading and world-renowned Conceptualist, and is currently professor of photography at Kunstakademie, Dusseldorf.
Christopher Williams exhibition highlights
The exhibition begins with Christopher Williams’ most recent work of perfectly staged and executed photographs, which challenge the consumer culture of mass-media society. Reminiscent of 1960s advertising, but with a twist, Williams’ images include deliberate flaws that would normally be removed in production or post-production. From a bruise on a ripe apple, to a model’s dirty feet, these imperfections reflect Williams’ ambivalence towards idealised consumer culture and his interest in the unexpected beauty of commercial and industrial photography.
You’ll also find Die Welt ist schon (The World is Beautiful) on display at the Whitechapel Gallery: a highly contemplative, eight-year project examining natural and man-made creations. Other highlights include an arresting portrait of two Korean women wearing blue contact lenses, and five previously unseen images in the UK influenced by British and European Pop art.
Architectural installation
The images will be displayed in a specially conceived architectural installation within the Whitechapel Gallery, reflecting Williams’ long-standing fascination with design.
Caught between film director, photographer and art historian, catch this sophisticated artist at his very first retrospective at Whitechapel Gallery.