Aubrey Williams “Cosmos” Series

Solo show at The October Gallery. 1995 - 1996
Date: 14 December, 1995 until 27 January, 1996
Organiser: October Gallery

For years before his death, London’s October Gallery emerged as a committed advocate for Aubrey Williams’ work. This advocacy and commitment has continued in the decades following the Guyana-born artist’s death in 1990. Typical in this regard was the exhibition of Williams’ “Cosmos” series, held at October Gallery 14 December 1995 - 27 January 1996.

The exhibition focused on Williams’ “Cosmos” paintings of the mid 1980s, such as Nebulic Cluster, 1985, oil on canvas, 119 x 178 cm, Collapse II, oil on canvas, 76 x 122 cm, and Nebula in Orion, 1985, oil on canvas, 119 x 177.5 cm.

As with other exhibitions of Williams’ work at October Gallery, this one came with a modest, but very useful brochure that provided invaluable documentation of Williams’ practice. Again, as with other catalogues on Williams’ work, it was long-time admirer of Williams, Guy Brett, who provided the brief text. Brett’s text reflected his familiarity with not only Williams’ practice, but with Williams himself, Brett’s text opened with, “Aubrey Williams was extrememely intersted in astrology. He owned two telescopes and was a member of the Royal Astronomical Society. An inveterate insomniac, he was often up with a telescope at four in the morning observing the sky on clear nights.

But Wiilliams was also, and equally, interested in agronomy, geology, archeology, Amerindian cosmology, ecology and ornithology! He paid attention, as he himself said admiringly of the composter Shostakovich, to “a hundred different things”.

All ‘ologies’ were really aspects of the same thing, and there was something faintly absurd about the divisions and subdivisions of human knowledge in the face of such vast and grand reality. Williams could well have said of stars what he said of birds: “…To me, birds represent the unattainable, posessing qualities we can only admire from our limited human state”.”

»  Aubrey Williams “Cosmos” Series 1996

Brochure relating to an exhibition, 1996

»  Aubrey Williams “Cosmos” Series opening view card

Announcement relating to a conference, 1995

»  Aubrey Williams The Cosmos Series flyer

Announcement relating to an exhibition, 1996

»  Aubrey Williams The Cosmos Series press release

Press release relating to an exhibition, 1996