Artwork copyright William Turner. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright William Turner. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Baja II, 1990

William Turner
(American, born 1940, died 2021)

Location: Bethel High School, Spanaway

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Baja II is an exuberant and colorful painting by artist William Turner, inspired by the artist's travels to Mexico. The images evoke a landscape looking out over palm trees and beach, executed in an energetic and gestural abstract style. Turner notes that much of his work alternates between pure abstraction and figurative realism. He sees this painting as "a successful synthesis of these various seemingly disparate elements."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Bethel School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Northwest artist William Turner (1940-2021) created paintings that investigate color and form, with a rich color palette and spontaneous and imagined forms. He painted to jazz music and his work demonstrates rhythm, energy, improvisation, and a resolution of opposites. He noted, "My paintings are intended to be simultaneously stimulating and contemplative."

Turner grew up in Tacoma, Western Washington. He studied at Washington State University and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma in 1965 while also working the night shift at a paper mill. He was drafted into the Vietnam War, enrolled in the Naval Officer Candidate School, and served from 1965-1968. After his discharge, he traveled and hitch-hiked through Europe, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania and was deeply affected by Africa’s rich cultures, landscapes, and the fragility of life on the Serengeti. Turner earned his Master of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1973. He taught art at Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle and Tacoma Community College. His paintings are in the collections of the Museum of Northwest Art (MONA) in La Conner, Nordstrom Corporation, Tacoma Art Museum, and more.