William (Bill) Sherman Flowers III is an arts teacher from Ohio. He holds an Associates Degree in Graphic Design from Pittsburgh Arts Institute; a BA in Art Education and a BFA (major in Studio Art; minor in Art History) from Youngstown (OH) State University. He is licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to teach Visual Arts in Grades 5-12. Bill is currently couch surfing in Brighton while seeking a teaching position.
Artist Statement:
My newest body of work, titled “We the People”, deals with many factors of homelessness. Many of the pieces are illustrative narratives about a young man in his mid- twenties, who is working at a job that does not pay enough for him to afford housing. As a result he lives in a tent in the woods behind his work place. He has all the human hormones of a twenty something and all the same needs. He does not drink or do drugs; however the isolation of homelessness and the stress of his situation is wearing of his mental stability. In this body of work I have been a bit of a voyeur. He has shared with me stories of bathing in a pond, seeing wild animals, eating wild mushrooms, hoping that joggers running by don’t discover his living arrangements, wanting to be born again, believing in God and experiencing tent life in general.
The illustrations are of mixed media with collages and acrylic. Some are on wood panels and others are on canvas. The works are made of a large variety of textures and patterns, game pieces, and children’s toys, stamps and beads. Each piece has hidden layers of complexity and symbolism. Many of the works have copies of the US Constitution appearing subtly in the background while others draw meaning from prominently displaying the words, “We the People”.
I am not trying to make any political statements or social judgments in my work. Rather, I am trying to raise questions and open dialogue about the role of government in homelessness, the impact of wages, and environmental concerns. Why does our society lack compassion or sympathy for the homeless? What about those people who have only temporary shelter? What about religion in the homeless community? Have the church and religion failed the homelessness? Why are the homeless not allowed to vote? Will just raising minimum wage change anything?
To me there are no easy answers nor quick fixes to these complex questions. Our only hope is that “We the People” can come together as a nation to bring about change and address homelessness.