German mixed media artist Christopher Will resurrects and transforms old photographs, film stills, and promotional images into something newly relevant to today. Will's background in Egyptology and Ancient History studies invites the comparison between his artistic process and that of an archaeologist: digging through the old and forgotten to bring artifacts of the past back to life. Will does not consider himself a photo-realist, even though his work is frequently taken from photographs and is naturalistic. Rather, Will uses these images as a starting point, playing with them and applying different techniques such as etching, painting, and drawing to compose something with a fresh meaning. Through this process, Will might create a dozen very different works of art from only a single image.
Will is not only interested in image manipulation, but in creating works that have a socio-political impact. Many of his pieces reference mythology, history, and current events in a subtle way that may not appear immediately obvious. His work rewards viewers who look deeper and interrogate Will’s pieces beyond what is apparent.
