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Artist William
DEBilzan began his unique journey
on February 27, 1956 in Amarillo, Texas. As a youth growing up in
Grass Lake, Michigan, DEBilzan would
for many years only dabble in art related arenas. It would be some
time later before this California Abstract Expressionist would embrace
the inevitable.
High School
found DEBilzan sketching and day dreaming
a host of design-oriented art, clothing lines and architectural
scenarios. Sports and other projects compromised young William's
artistic exploration and energy devoted to this particular cause.
Artistic pursuits were still only nice distractions, undertaken
between games or during uninteresting lectures. Young DEBilzan
seemed precocious to adults unfamiliar with his odd perceptions
of the world and unsolicited commentary. He appeared eclectic and
curious, yet remarkably unfocused. Even the college years painted
young DEBilzan as a most unlikely
candidate to passionately pursue any one subject.
These
days and perhaps ironically, DEBilzan would
consider an eight-hour session of painting, play personified
and just about half his "working day." Exceptional galleries and
active collectors, both domestically and abroad, fully reinforce
this artist's playful obsession and massive number of logged studio
hours. A focused DEBilzan would
be an understatement today in no uncertain terms.
Southern California
would be DEBilzan's home from 1980
to 1999, and his muse, in many significant ways. Fellow artists,
mentors, friends and a colorful coastal haven would prove inspirational.
Artistic projects escalated dramatically in the late 80's and early
90's in Laguna Beach. It was in Laguna that local galleries and
private collectors first began representing and collecting his figurative
and purely abstract bodies of work.
In addition
to considerable career recognition received in the 90's, one
particular
city project, begun in 1997 by DEBilzan,
was awarded Event of The Year 1999 in all of California.
First Thursday's Art Walk, DEBilzan's
idea for promoting a monthly collaborative event among Laguna
Beach
galleries, remains one of the most talked about and replicated
promotions of its kind. Remarkably enhanced awareness of art and
increased
art commerce characterized this now famous event. DEBilzan's
Post Art Walk Party also served as a catalyst/venue for performance
art, communal artistic development and collaborative art projects.
DEBilzan's
gallery representation and notoriety would continue to increase
remarkably throughout the mid to late 90's and well into the 21st
Century. Television shows like Frasier, Spin City, L.A. Doctors,
Just Shoot Me, and C.S.I. Miami,
featuring DEBilzan paintings, were
all favorable contributors to visibility in the United States and
all European countries hosting these programs. More recently, episodes
of CSI Miami and a variety of featured
films are currently being shot in DeBilzan's massive studio.
A New Millennium
brought with it an invitation and perhaps the single greatest artistic
and production challenge for DEBilzan.
A series of eight enormous 7 x 14 foot paintings, based on his interpretation
of Vivaldi's famous concertos, The Four Seasons, would
earn him enormous press and critical attention in 2000. This Millennium
Project, by invitation of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra,
was hung in Pope Joy Hall in Albuquerque and simultaneously viewed
during all the N.M.S.O. performances of The Four Seasons.
William DeBilzan
is the proud father of three boys and a girl. Between marathon painting
sessions in his massive studio, he can often be found on a plane
headed to yet another opening.*
*See
Gallery Representation Page for listings
of galleries representing William DEBilzan
in the U.S. and abroad.
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