Robin F. Williams' work is even more profound, mysterious and technically masterful when seen over the course of decades of progress. That is why, even though the artist's solo shows are incredible experiences and there is often a buzz off what new tool Williams will showcase in the paintings, to see this overview of skill makes for the perfect summation of one of the best and most interesting painters of their generation. That is why a museum show, and in this case Robin F. Williams: We’ve Been Expecting You at the Columbus Museum of Art, the first solo institutional exhibition featuring the work of the Columbus-born, Brooklyn-based artist, seems so long overdue and exhilarating for audiences.
Part of me feels like this is seeing history in the present. With many of the museum shows I go see, or many of the magazines we put together at Juxtapoz, I think about the canon of works and think about the younger artists we cover and what their retrospectives will look like 20, 30 years into the future. Williams, since the first moments I have seen the paintings, was one of the artists. How excited audiences would be to see a full range of these wonderfully singular works, how Williams can shed skin like a chameleon from show to show, with new aesthetics, characters and techniques. I remember Williams saying in the cover story for Juxtapoz over five years ago, when speaking about concepts explored and technical shifts, "That is when I know that a painting is working, when I can feel both of those things linking up." A long overdue overview is now for all of us to see.