From Erin Cluley Gallery:

"For the better part of a decade, artist WILLIAM ATKINSON has been contemplating the concept of Storm & Shelter – the title of his upcoming solo exhibition. Believing “Storm” and “Shelter” as irreconcilable ideas which could not exist in the same space, Atkinson felt an internal dichotomy resulting in a creative roadblock. Atkinson states, “When embracing the storm; I thought I had to forgo the shelter. I was wrong.”

After years of reflection and revelations from his present life, Atkinson realized these terms are not an either/or but a both/and relationship – not a divergence but a convergence. His exhibition of large format mixed media on canvases is a representation of this realization and convergence. Though it may be a seemingly simple idea to the outside viewer, for the artist, it is a deeply personal discovery. The “Storm” needs the “Shelter” because they define each other – they are in fact simpatico. Convergence, rather than divergence, gives the artist resolution. The artist states, “Both concepts may coexist in the same space without judgment upon the other.  It is a return to origin and evaluation of the weight of our decisions, either arbitrary or intentional, because both concepts are defining us. They merge. They coexist. They are in the same space — and I could not be happier.” 

In this exhibition of all new work, Storm & Shelter is a continuation of working with paint and collage on canvas while staying true to his roots in street art. The new works combine a language of abstract expressionism, re-appropriation of imagery, typography, and graffiti with the intention of engaging the viewer so they may draw their own conclusions on the topic. The creative energy of each piece is intended to be both an external dialogue and an internal reflective moment. "