William West is an award-winning photojournalist who inherited his love of photography from his maternal grandfather. He uses a variety of techniques to create digital photography art
“that is alive and evolving.”
A collection of 37 creative works, “The Masters’ Influence” features lush photo-illustrations that have been informed by 30 years of photojournalism experience. This collection of images has been imaginatively reworked by West in a nod to the art world’s greatest painters: “My style of photography was influenced by the great masters of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries: Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Vermeer, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Thomas Hart Benton, Winslow Homer and Norman Rockwell,” West says. “It is my wish that the illustration techniques I employ bring to light the influence that these masters have had on my view of the world.”
Originally from Bemus Point, N.Y., West is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he studied photojournalism and political science. He began his photojournalism career in the 1980s and has earned numerous awards for his work, including honors from the Associated Press, the National Press Photographers Association, the Ohio News Photographers Association, and the Chautauqua County Society of Artists. His work has appeared in Life and USA Today, among other national publications, and has been distributed worldwide via the Associated Press.
An Artist’s Reception will be held at the arts center on Friday, March 11, 6-8 p.m.
