Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 3

Ford William
Your Feelings are Lava (Flight)

2023

About the Item

Ford William is a self-taught folk/outsider artist, who began making art after coming to terms with chronic mental health issues that had plagued him all his life. The piece was made for Ford's solo art show, FIGHT FLIGHT FAWN FREEZE, the concept of which stems from Ford's experience—having spent years living in the unconscious and unsustainable chaos of survival mode—and his journey of learning (and unlearning) to move towards a healthier, more stable, and integrated existence. After exiting survival mode and coming online again, Ford began making art to practice the skills needed to help prevent re-entering chronic stress-response states in the future. Specifically, he makes art to practice self-compassion, tame his inner critic, and move away from the shame-based avoidance and anxiety that were the root cause of many of his behavioral patterns. Statement from the artist: "This piece is about workaholism/busyism, which is an avenue of avoidance via symbolic flight that I personified for several years when I was in the most extreme chapter of my time spent in survival mode. Staying busy, on its own, is not an unhealthy emotional practice, but this form of busyness is obsessive AND is motivated entirely by avoidance. The resulting behavior, in my experience, can be very demanding, exhausting, and damaging. We become a “human doing” rather than a “human being,” and can become entirely disconnected from our bodies and feelings. I have seen this type of behavior described as “left brain dissociation,” which I totally relate to because I did become completely separated from myself—almost like being in a tiny, obsessive, hidden room in the shadowy depths of my mind—without access to the rest of my being. One of the most damaging aspects of this stress/trauma response from a societal perspective is that often this type of behavior can be celebrated and lead to financial success for those workaholics who are able to remain functioning through the exhaustion (until if/when there is a case of “burnout”). This piece was created from the POV of my unconscious during my extreme busyism phase; I had no idea, consciously, that I was obsessively working as a means of avoiding feelings; I just felt the constant urge to keep going and would feel extremely uncomfortable when not preoccupied."
  • Creator:
    Ford William (1990, American)
  • Creation Year:
    2023
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)Width: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Nashville, TN
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2066212676422
More From This SellerView All
  • The Superego's a Judge, The Amygdala a Mutineer
    Located in Nashville, TN
    Ford William is a self-taught folk/outsider artist, who began making art after coming to terms with chronic mental health issues that had plagued him all his life. The piece was made...
    Category

    2010s Outsider Art Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Metal

  • Useful 200 Thousand Years Ago
    Located in Nashville, TN
    Ford William is a self-taught folk/outsider artist, who began making art after coming to terms with chronic mental health issues that had plagued him all his life. The piece was made...
    Category

    2010s Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Found Objects, House Paint, Acrylic, Graphite

  • Lizard Brain
    Located in Nashville, TN
    Ford William is a self-taught folk/outsider artist, who began making art after burning out as a transactional attorney. The piece was made for Ford's solo art show, FIGHT FLIGHT FAWN FREEZE, the concept of which stems from Ford's experience—having spent years living in the unconscious and unsustainable chaos of survival mode—and his journey of learning (and unlearning) to move towards a healthier, more stable, and integrated existence. After exiting survival mode and coming online again, Ford began making art to practice the skills needed to help prevent re-entering chronic stress-response states in the future. Specifically, he makes art to practice self-compassion, tame his inner critic, and move away from the shame-based avoidance and anxiety that were the root cause of many of his behavioral patterns. This piece, in particular, is all about how our sensory inputs (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches) all go through our lizard brain before we even are consciously aware of the resulting sensory experience, which is significant because the lizard brain is the arbiter...
    Category

    2010s Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Found Objects, House Paint, Acrylic

  • How Will the Freezer Freeze?
    Located in Nashville, TN
    Ford William is a self-taught folk/outsider artist, who began making art after coming to terms with chronic mental health issues that had plagued him all his life. The piece was made...
    Category

    2010s Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Metal

  • UHF
    Located in Nashville, TN
    Artist Nathaniel Covington constructs bold, colorfully sculpted papier-mâché monster masks and large, pop art creature paintings. His art pieces have simple lines, set against solid color backgrounds. For Nathaniel, the process starts with rough sketches on paper, wood, skateboards - just about anything he can draw on, allowing him the vision to finalize his art. The making of masks started about 3 years ago and he fell in love with the process. It’s an opportunity to bring to life all the “Creatures” and wildly funny things living in my head. He says, "I’d like the art pieces that I make to evoke some sort of emotion when they are seen.” He’s predominately influenced by 1969’s-1980’s “Creature Feature Films”, horror soundtracks, Sci-Fi magazines, plus a dash of Ed Roth.
    Category

    2010s Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Acrylic, Papier Mâché, Found Objects, Mixed Media

  • The Keep
    Located in Nashville, TN
    Artist Nathaniel Covington constructs bold, colorfully sculpted papier-mâché monster masks and large, pop art creature paintings. His art pieces have simple lines, set against solid color backgrounds. For Nathaniel, the process starts with rough sketches on paper, wood, skateboards - just about anything he can draw on, allowing him the vision to finalize his art. The making of masks started about 3 years ago and he fell in love with the process. It’s an opportunity to bring to life all the “Creatures” and wildly funny things living in my head. He says, "I’d like the art pieces that I make to evoke some sort of emotion when they are seen.” He’s predominately influenced by 1969’s-1980’s “Creature Feature Films”, horror soundtracks, Sci-Fi magazines, plus a dash of Ed Roth.
    Category

    2010s Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Mixed Media, Acrylic, Papier Mâché

You May Also Like
  • Flower Caryatid - Blue Woman Shaped Painting
    Located in Washington, DC
    Important one of a kind work by Noche Crist (1909 - 2004). Shaped painting titled " Flower Caryatid", acrylic paint, wood, plaster and mirror. Noche ...
    Category

    Late 20th Century Outsider Art Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Mirror, Plaster, Wood, Acrylic

  • Judaica Painting w Sculpture Terra Cotta Jewish Couple Israeli Artist Kanovich
    Located in Surfside, FL
    Original Painting: Terracotta Relief With Acrylic Painting on Wood Panel Hand signed These works are paintings with a 3D carved sculpture dimension to them, fusing sculpture with painting Mixed media on board depicting a romantic couple, a woman seated on a man's lap. Mark Kanovich...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Folk Art Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Terracotta, Acrylic, Wood Panel

  • Listed American Female Folk Art Layered Constructed Sculptural Oil Painting
    Located in Buffalo, NY
    Sculptural folk art piece by listed artist Sharon Yavis. This work is constructed by applying layers of wood to create an almost three dimensional effect ...
    Category

    1980s Folk Art Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Wood, Oil

  • Femme Fatale
    Located in Washington, DC
    An original work by Noche Crist (1909- 2004). Titled "Femme Fatale" and signed on reverse. Wonderful work made with cut wood, paint and plaster. Catalogue of an exhibition in 2008 ...
    Category

    20th Century Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Plaster, Mirror, Wood, Acrylic, Pencil

  • Freedom Wagon
    By James C. Litz
    Located in Buffalo, NY
    James C. Litz is a self-taught artist who has a "primitive-naive" style of oil and acrylic paintings that features colorful and humorous characters and scenes. His paintings have a very child-like quality to them and you can see the artist's active imagination at work transforming everyday life into art. In 1994, the fine arts magazine Sunstorm, described him as having a "natural wit and style". Permanent displays: The National and International Vietnam Veterans War Art Museum, Chicago, IL; the American Folk Art Museum, NYC; the President Bush Library, Houston, TX; Museé D'Art Naïf de l'lle De France; the International Folk Art Museum, La Jolla, CA; and the James Fennimore Coopers Museum, Cooperstown, NY. Private Collections: Jackie Gleason (deceased); Roy Rogers (deceased); the Flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya (deceased); opera singer Patrice Munsel, cellist Lynn Harrell, and Bill Cosby.
    Category

    1980s Figurative Paintings

    Materials

    Acrylic, Wood

  • Medusa XXI, The Epoch series
    Located in Aberdeen Dyce, GB
    The text you see on Medusa XXI’s canvas was taken from real newsfeeds of BBC, CNN and other major media. The series is limited to a total of 21 artworks, and in every new copy of Med...
    Category

    2010s Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Mirror, Wood, Plywood, Acrylic, Fabric

Recently Viewed

View All