This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2003.
Actor Billy Dee Williams has had many landmark film roles, including running back Gale Sayers in the 1971 film "Brian's Song." A generation of young people know Williams as Lando Calrissian in "Star Wars" and its sequels. When Williams returned to the Broadway stage in 1988 to star in "Fences," however, the New York art scene awakened the painter in him. Williams began to paint prolifically in a style which he refers to as "Abstract Realism," exploring dreams and emotions through images rendered in a figurative style that bridges reality with imagination. Acrylic and airbrush on canvas, the bright vibrant colors create a magical atmosphere. Williams calls this painting "Isolated Moment," as it is a split-second freeze frame of a baseball hurtling at the batter. Set in perspectival space, the picture creates great depth, first showing the hand of the pitcher, then the baseball mid-flight, the startled eyes of the batter, home plate, the catcher, and finally the stands in the background. His inspiration for "Isolated Moment" quite likely came from his role in "Fences" as an aging, powerful slugger who would be one of the all-time greats were it not for the color of his skin. When you view this masterpiece, you are instantly reminded of the great Negro Leagues immortal Josh Gibson. The "Isolated Moment" received rave reviews wherever it was displayed in New York, San Francisco, and most recently at the Southeast Center for Contemporary Art in 1995 in Winston-Salem, N.C., where it was shown on loan from the private collector who owned it at the time. The painting is signed "B.D. Williams 1989" in white paint in the lower left corner. It is framed in black, bringing the final dimensions to 62" x 62". The frame is 2" deep. Williams also signed his name and the year in black paint on the back of the canvas. The title "Isolated Moment" is written in marker on one of the horizontal wooden stretchers on the back of the canvas. Williams' signature comes with a letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA. Several brochures on the art of Billy Dee Williams are available with this masterpiece. The buyer should be aware of the shipping costs of this work of art.