Imaginations

Mesmerizing, Painting by Bill Dallas

Imaginations

Paintings by Bill A. Dallas
Exhibit
Tuesday, Sep 3, 2013 12:00 am -

Opening Reception: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 | 4 - 6 pm

Artist Bill A. Dallas was born in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up surrounded by great music, the famous Kansas City blues and jazz. Music had a profound effect on him as a young man, but he discovered his true talent in painting after his move to Berkeley, California in 1963. He earned a BFA from UC Berkeley in 1974.

Currently living and painting in Oakland, Dallas is a versatile painter who incorporates calligraphy, figure studies and abstract painting into his work. A traveler whenever possible, Dallas has visited more than 25 countries. During his travels to Japan he studied calligraphy, woodblock printing, handmade paper and Sumi ink brush painting with master artist Toshi Yoshida. Yet, music remains an important part of his practice and he paints almost exclusively while listening to jazz. His two-handed, brushless style of painting is unique; he calls his style artmatism. “The divine principle of true artmatism painting is to be in a constant state of enlightenment,” states Dallas. “Freedom first, then comes enlightenment, and with that enlightenment you understand division and separation of the imaginations.” 

Dallas has exhibited throughout the Bay Area and the United States. His work is found in private collections throughout the world, including Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, Japan, and South Africa. He was recently included in “The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey,” an exhibition at San Francisco’s Museum of the African Diaspora. 

The paintings we have chosen for this exhibition represent Dallas’ broad range of interests and experiences, including his reflections upon visiting Hiroshima in When you get to Heaven, and his dedications to the 200,000 imprisoned in North Korea in Human Rights. Also featured are the more recent black and white calligraphy of Tea Ceremony Dipper and Three Blind Women in Oakland; both using acrylic and Sumi ink on canvas. Many of these paintings include quotes, aphorisms, and dissonant critique on the reverse side of the canvas. We have reproduced the content from the back of the paintings wherever possible. We are grateful to Bill Dallas for his permission and assistance in capturing this content. 

Exhibit hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. The exhibit is located in a meeting space; call 510-643-9670 in advance for room availability.