Renegade Humor, February 3, 2012 - July 8, 2012, New Wing, Second Floor, Central Skylight and South Metro A Galleries, San José Museum of Art.

Inside Out: Selections from the Permanent Collection, November 20, 2004 - July 9, 2006, New Wing, Second Floor, South Metro A and Central Skylight Galleries, San José Museum of Art.

Collection Highlights, November 2, 2002 - September 12, 2004, New Wing, Gibson Family Gallery and Plaza Gallery, First Floor, San José Museum of Art.

Into the 21st Century: Selections from the Permanent Collection, May 22 -September 12, 1999, Second floor, New Wing, San José Museum of Art.

The Permanent Collection: Recent Acquisitions, August 5 -September 24, 1995
Second Floor Central, New Wing, San José Museum of Art.

Renegade Humor (2012)

Undoubtedly one of the most eccentric Bay Area artists of his generation, William T. Wiley is known for his laid-back attitude and flippant sense of humor. Although idiosyncratic, his viewpoint reflected the shifting values of the art world in the 1950s and 1960s. Wiley’s rejection of abstract expressionism in favor of his own blend of enigmatic painting and funky assemblage embedded with humorous puns and mythical symbols led The New York Times art critic Hilton Kramer to label his unique sensibility “Dude Ranch Dada.” Throughout his career as an artist and an instructor at the University of California, Davis, Wiley has been guided by a keen intellect, sharp wit, and independent spirit.


Inside Out: Selections from the Permanent Collection (2004-2006)

William T. Wiley's work is held together by a quirky wit, which is often difficult to decipher. He thrives on a range of subtle word games in the form of riddles, inside-jokes, puns, and double (or triple) entendres.

Gineric D.B.L. (Part A) is filled with puzzling word-plays. The word gineric refers to the real word generic, and D.B.L. can be translated to double - referring to a three-dimensional globe that once accompanied the canvas. Cryptic inscriptions such as "Awe right your guise cool it." and "Say so long to the elephants" are intended to further intrigue the viewer.

In the late 1980s, William Wiley’s concern for nature and the environment became one of the dominant themes in his work. This painting is densely packed with layers of Wiley’s distinctive markings, symbols, and texts. At the center of the monumental painting is a large sphere representing “an abstract version of the earth.” Surrounding the sphere, the canvas is partitioned into distinct areas that are packed with Wiley’s trademark inscriptions, puns, and drawings. Among them, on the left portion, beneath layers of doodling, a devil-like figure kneels before a simple building resembling a church, while a gargoyle spews water from above. Wiley overlaid two cryptic quotes: “Threats for sure,” and “Say so long to the elephants,” leaving us to ponder the relationship between spirituality and the earth’s natural resources.

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

• Into the 21st Century: Selections from the Permanent Collection , 5/22/1999 - 9/12/1999

• Image Dimensions: 100 x 156 in. (254 x 396.24 cm)

This object has the following bibliographic references:

• Selections: The San Jose Museum of Art Permanent Collection. Selections: The San Jose Museum of Art Permanent Collection San Jose Museum of Art. San Jose, CA, 2004
  Page Number: 242-245
• Into the 21st Century: Selections from the Permanent Collection, San Jose Museum of Art. Into the 21st Century: Selections from the Permanent Collection, San Jose Museum of Art San Jose Museum of Art. San Jose, CA, 1999
  Page Number: 45

This object is a member of the following portfolios: