v o i c e c o l o r s

Please join us at a reception for the opening of

v o i c e  c o l o r s 

Paintings by William Megargel

July 18, 20136:00 – 8:00 pm

Lesley University

ATRIUM GALLERY--2nd floor 

 

“His works pulsate color and motion-a painter's panoramic theater.”

William “Billy” Megargel is a 23-year-old artist who uses an arsenal of tools—artists’ brushes, ball tip whisks, paint rollers, rubber colanders, bamboo salad utensils and bubble wrap—to create expressive modern paintings that command attention with their physical and emotional power. No matter what music genre he selects that day: opera, jazz or rock and roll is the backdrop. Billy, however, commands the moment as he rakes, flicks, rolls, sprays, throws and weaves the paint over the canvas. The result is that every work is, striking, original, and a memorable combustion of color, texture and physical virtuosity. Visit www.wmmartgallery.com to see more of his work.

The exhibit is open to the public and will run through September 12, 2013

Please RSVP by registering via http://wmmartgallery.eventbrite.com/

Ebbs and Flows

Over the last four years, Billy has grappled physically and spiritually with complex medical issues. From the sideline, Billy’s story seems like a sad turn of events. But Billy and I don’t agree.

It is also a very good story and this is why. A rubber spatula, an XO Easy Grip turkey baster and a dish rag – all ordinary kitchen tools, but in Billy’s hands they are his ply and trade as he creates a lively palette of colors and networks of intricate textures. Passionate and with laser focus, Billy turns the ordinary into the extraordinary with an arsenal of tools ranging from artists brushes, ball tip whisks, paint rollers, rubber colanders , bamboo salad utensils and bubble wrap. Whether it’s Seal’s “Amazing”, Madonna’s “Vogue” or Vivaldi’s “Four seasons,” music is a constant and revered companion. Music sets the tone and tempo and painting is Billy’s expressive voice. When one walks into the garage studio, pulsations and beats reverberate as Billy throws, swirls, and presses the paint into an equally pulsating symphony.

The physical and emotional power of his painting is undeniably Billy’s signature trademark.

His personal story however, reveals why he is so committed to his life as an artist. Every day for the past four years, Billy has endured acute episodic pain. His medical realities coincide with his diagnosis of Autism. For some individuals on the autism spectrum the social world is complex as well as physically grueling. Suffering is a part of Billy’s life. But Billy does not see his pain as defining who he is or will become. Though his physical health is precarious and sometimes fragile, Billy desires to paint. As a 22 year old young man, Billy loves life and embraces it with bravado. Anyone who knows Billy and witnesses his passion for colors and his delight in music are moved by his choice to create beauty in the midst of intractable obstacles.

Billy relishes all of life’s sensations. It is his gift to humanity.

WHO ARE YOU?

Billy is at an art studio where he paints most Mondays. It is a spacious, cluttered warehouse filled with visual creations and accompanied by sonorous and dissonant sounds. It is Beatnik and 2011 wrapped up in one. A current time warp.

This Monday Billy arrives and starts to prep for his studio art session. He places his communication device and his art schedule book on the 1960’s fashionable scratchy metal secretary desk. Rummaging through the plastic milk carton, he finds the radio and places it in an exact spot on the desktop. He lifts the hefty CD player (500 CD’s later-a lifetime collection from a now almost defunct Borders) out of a lime green case and sets it neatly by the soon to be obsolete Sony player. Billy is always precise. His painter apron accented by vibrant smears of paint hangs on a hook in an adjacent interior closet-room. Without a cue, Billy puts the ankle length blue denim apron on, wraps the belt around his waist, ties a bow and then double knots it until there is no remaining string to use.

And then Billy picks up his communication device and navigates to the Dictionary, selects the category “people” and then presses the “friends” subcategory. Immediately, he presses “more friends” which reveals a page with many empty cells. I watched with keen interest but frankly I had no idea what he was about to do. Billy walks up to each person who happened to be sharing the space with him that day and pointed to the empty cell on his friends page.

Standing, he bent slightly over so that each person could view what he pointed to. Focused, direct, and earnest, Billy acknowledged everyone in the room. I gasped as I realized what was amiss. I knew what Billy wanted to say.

But, the pivotal question “Who are you?” was not on his device. Billy, however, was not deterred. Each individual he approached, he pointed to the empty cell as if to say your name belongs and put his hand out for a handshake which was returned in kind. Billy’s simple gesture of recognizing others tied them together in this painter’s niche. Despite the fact that his language system was compromised, Billy took the time and effort to affirm each person’s presence in his life at that moment. I felt humbled by his act of kindness.

I went home that day and made sure that Billy would always have the ability to ask ‘WHO ARE YOU?” The question is programmed in multiple places on his communication device. Billy already knew that the question was urgent and applied it in his life. What I learned that day was that I too needed to ask this question. Like Billy, I too yearn to be in the reception line with others.