Who is Paul Cordes Wilm???
by
Chicago artist, Dolan Geiman
With a name like Paul Cordes Wilm, one might assume this southern gentleman was among the ranks of British royalty. His name, however, is just part of the greatness-that-is Paul, a 30 something from Birmingham Alabama. We met Paul at the Magic City Art Fair last year, and it was a real pleasure to actually get a chance to converse with him while he was in town for the opening of his "The Suits Aren't What They Seem" show at Clothes Optional.
Paul is the kind of guy who has a sharp, yet relaxed wit, the kind that carries the venom of a rattlesnake but goes down warm like a swig of bourbon. He told me about his policy on guests: “I usually make everyone wear a wig when they come over to my place to play board games. It removes the possibility of anyone taking themselves too seriously.” It's this kind of attitude that shows through clearly in his work. From his series Business Beasts, a snake-headed, apron wearing Medusa slaves over a mixing bowl while reading a book on beauty.
His artwork has been described as Folk–Pop, leaning more to the latter; his pieces on wood panel with collaged imagery pulled from 1950’s magazines and comics, and brilliant hues of Superman blues and reds. The characters taking center stage in his works are sometimes animal-headed, sometimes faceless, but always surrounded by caffeinated colors or bold verbiage. His most recent work throws a pie at the face of current politics, with bear headed candidates asking for voter's attention. My absolute favorites are his smaller interactive works, featuring a woman's face, with hooks screwed into her earlobes. “Those are for hanging your keys on, and then she looks like she's wearing earrings,” says Wilm.
clicking the above photo will magically take you to Paul's myspace profile where you can look at more paintings and learn more about him
Here is a comprehensive list of Paul's past exhibits, etc :
Garde Rail Gallery "Folk Pop" - Group Show with Lloyd Benjamin and Tim Hooper, April 2008 Seattle, WA
Bottletree "Stolen Faces" - Solo Painting Exhibit,April 2008 Birmingham,AL
Clothes Optional "The Suits Aren't What They Seem" - Solo Painting Exhibit, Jan. - Mar. 2008 Chicago,Illinois
Crestwood Coffee Company "Fortunate Nobodies" - Solo Painting Exhibit, Sept. - Oct. 2007 Birmingham, Alabama
Rojo Collaborative Exhibit with Andrew Hensley, May – July 2007 Birmingham, Alabama
Bottletree “Business Beasts” - Solo Painting Exhibit, February – April 2007 Birmingham, Alabama
Eyedrum Gallery “Missing” – Solo Painting Exhibit, August 2006 Atlanta, Georgia
Naked Art Gallery “Target Practice” – Solo Painting Exhibit, November 2005 Birmingham, Alabama
Workplay “Small Talkers Big Reciepts” – Solo Painting Exhibit, June 2004 Birmingham, Alabama
Barehands Gallery “G.O.R.A. In Motus” – Group Show with Clayton Colvin, Justin Cordes,
Possum Doss, Wendi Flowers and Jess Marie Walker:
Video Installation and Paintings by Paul Cordes Wilm, February 2002 Birmingham, Alabama
Naked Art Gallery “I Remember The Future” – Solo Painting and Functional Art Exhibit, January 2002 Birmingham, Alabama
Mono09pod Gallery Untitled Painting & Iron Work Exhibit with Justin Cordes, March 2000 Birmingham, Alabama
Mono09pod Gallery “Hello Means Money” – Collaborative Exhibit with Chris Lawson, July 2000 Birmingham, Alabama
Agnes Gallery “Heat Index” – Group Exhibit with Kris Keul, Carrie Bloomston, Clayton Colvin,
Shaun Boley and Jon Coffelt, July – September 1999 Birmingham, Alabama
Paintings in Constant Display
Garde Rail Gallery November 2007 – Present Seattle, Washington
Route of Art Gallery May 2007 – Present Florence, Alabama
Jackson’s Bar & Bistro Jan 2007 – Present Homewood, Alabama
Naked Art Oct 1998 – Present Birmingham, Alabama
Aan de Amsel Gallerie Nov 2005 – Present Dronten, Holland
Barehands Gallery Mar 1998 – Present Birmingham, Alabama
Cherie’s Eklectika Mar 2005 – Present St. Petersburg, Florida
Roly Poly May 2002 - Jun 2005 Birmingham, Alabama
Clary Sage Gallery Jan 2000 – Mar 2000 Birmingham, Alabama
Pangea Pizza Sep 1998 – Nov 1999 Birmingham, Alabama
Lucy’s Coffeehouse Oct 1998 – Oct 1999 Birmingham, Alabama
Magic Bagel Dec 1998 – Oct 1999 Birmingham, Alabama
Publications
Kunstweek Book (Publication of Netherlands Galleries) “Blinded By The Lies” Represented the Dutch Gallery Aan De Amstel November 2006
Black and White (Birmingham Bi-Weekly Magazine) Cover – “Business Bunny” November 2006
Birmingham Weekly (Birmingham Weekly Magazine) Cover – “Thinking Woman” May 2006
Hand In Paw (2006 Day Planner) January Image – “Something Good Is About To Happen” January 2006
Portico (Birmingham Magazine) Two-Page Article About the Artist May 2005
Birmingham Weekly (Birmingham Weekly Magazine) Cover – “Melting Business” May 2004
Black and White (Birmingham Bi-Weekly Magazine) Cover – “Bjork’s Day Off” January 2002
Black and White (Birmingham Bi-Weekly Magazine) Cover – “Cavalier” July 2001
Black and White (Birmingham Bi-Weekly Magazine) Cover – “Vishnu” (collaboration with Chris Lawson) June 2000
