Collection: Bill Skrips

"Using a combination of carved & painted wooden forms, aged metal, found objects and various bits, I seek narrative in my sculptural work. At times literal and sometimes abstract, the “stories” the artwork tells can come across as apparent or obscure. Influenced by outsider and folk art, I strive for a union between the humorous and the dark, which reflects my personal view of the world. The work rarely edifies or draws conclusions: I prefer to pose the questions and stand back. The resulting playfulness of this approach is balanced by the grittiness of my materials".

Raised in the wilds of blue-collar New Jersey, I attended art school in NYC, moving there for the art scene. I spent years in NYC, eventually finding urban life overwhelming. I left Soho, returned to NJ and began to work with found materials (influenced by a Dad who saved everything), combining these bits and pieces with painting, carving and welding.

I married, bought a home and settled into domestic life. I began showing work nationally. I won a state fellowship, which temporarily freed me from part-time jobs. Selling work from both studio and gallery also helped with finances.

A divorce, my parents’ passing and a milestone birthday prompted a move west to New Mexico. These days, I work outside of Santa Fe. The effort spent making art is like breathing rather than a chore-not always pure joy, but never far from it.