Parallel Visions: Williams + Villegle Street Art Exhibit (SF)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

March 12 – May 2, 2026, Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00am – 5:30pm

Shown for the first time in tandem, this exhibition highlights the surprising parallels between the practices of two pioneers of Street Art: SF muralist Scott Williams and French New Realist decollage master Jacques Villegle. In this exhibition, several large works from William’s oeuvre spanning 1986 to 2005 are paired with sizeable Villegle masterpieces from the late 70s and 80s.

While their bodies of work share several perceptible similarities (like the use of layering, color, text, the presence of portraits, pop culture iconography and rough edges at the perimeter of their compositions), these visual resemblances are of the least interesting.

Both artists relocated to major cultural hubs in their youth and at 23 years old both began working with the unique artistic processes they became celebrated for. Williams and Villegle were not only artists, but archivists. To create their art, it was essential to amass a large collection of found material, and with multi-decade careers this collection precipitated an archive, and their art, a visual record of the times. Williams was called the “stencil pirate” and Villegle the “aristocratic scavenger.” Despite iconic monikers, both artists retained a level of anonymity. Aaron Noble, co-founder of the Clarion Alley Project, wrote that Williams’s work maintains an “ambiguous authorial tone.” Jacques Villegle often did not sign his work and referred to himself as the Lacere Anonyme (Anonymous Lacerator). While both bodies of work were informed by their respective cities, they are not autobiographical. In terms of art history, both artists’ practices of utilizing found material emanate from the Cubist collages of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque and the ready-mades of Marcel Duchamp.

While Villegle took his art from the streets and Williams brought his art to the streets (an amusing contrast), both artists ultimately transcended the street artist classification and found warm reception in the formal art world.

Presented by MODERNISM INC.

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