The Infinity series is an extensive body of work that Bill Armstrong has been photographing since 1997. It includes a wide range of portfolios, from figurative to abstract, that are made using his unique process of photographing found images extremely out of focus with the camera’s focusing ring set at infinity.

The unique process of appropriating images and subjecting them to a series of manipulations—photocopying, cutting, painting, re-photographing—transforms the originals and gives them a new meaning in a new context.  Extreme blurring makes the edges within the collages disappear, so the photographs appear to be seamless, integrated images. This sleight of hand allows the artist to conjure a mysterious tromp l'oeil world that hovers between the real and the fantastic. It is a world just beyond our grasp, where place may be suggested, but is never defined, and where the identity of the amorphous figures remains in question.  It is a world that might exist in memory, in dreams, or, perhaps, in a parallel universe yet unvisited.  

 

EDUCATION:

B.A., History of Art, magna cum laude, Boston University, 1979

M.B.A., Boston University, 1987

 

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2008
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, "Mandala", Fall, Date TBA ClampArt, New York, NY, "Renaissance,"

2007
Silver Eye Center for Photography, Pittsburgh, PA, "Apparition,"

DeSantos Gallery, Houston, TX, "Spirit: From Darkness to Light,"

2006
Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO, "Blue Sphere,"

Parkerson Gallery, Houston, TX, "Apparition,"

Scott White Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA, "Photographs From the Infinity Series,"

2005
ClampArt, New York, NY, "Apparition,"

Gallery Kayafas, Boston, MA, "Spirit,"

2004
ClampArt, New York, NY, "Spirit,"

2003
Sara Nightingale Gallery, Water Mill, NY, "Recent Photographs,"

Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA, "Mandala,"

2002
Joel Soroka Gallery, Aspen, Colorado, "Mandala,"

2001
An American Space Gallery, New York, NY, "Photographs From the Infinity Series,"

McCann-Erikson Gallery, New York, NY, "Recent Photographs," August, 2000

1999
Roy Park School of Communications, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, "Recent Photographs,"

1997
International Center of Photography Education Gallery, New York, NY, "Accidental Portraits,"

Uma Gallery, New York, NY, "Recent Photographs,"

 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2008
School of Visual Arts, NY, NY, "Faculty Exhibition," January-February

2007
International Center of Photography, NY, NY, "Faculty Exhibition: About This,"

Robischon Gallery, Denver, CO, "Renaissance,"

Forma Centro Internazionale di Fotografia, Milan, Italy, "Faccia a Faccia, Il nuovo ritratto contemporaneo,"

Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, "Oog-Eye: Photographs from Collection Dancing Bear,"

2006
International Center of Photography, NY, NY, "Faculty Exhibition,"

Houston Community College Central Fine Art Gallery, "Figure in the Landscape,"

Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO, "On the Edge," Curated by Stephen Perloff,

Musee De l'Elysee, Lausanne, Switzerland, "No Eyes: the Dancing Bear Collection of W. M. Hunt,"

2005
Lancaster Museum of Art, Lancaster, PA, "Photo National," Curated by Kate Ware,

Recontres D’Arles, Arles, France, "Sans regardes, or no eyes: looking at collection Dancing Bear,"

Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, MA,

DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA, "Luminous Forms: Abstractions in Color Photography," Sept. 2004-January 2005

2004
Hayward Gallery, London, UK, "About Face," Curated by William Ewing,

Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona Beach, FL, "Fresh Works," Curated by Kevin Miller,

McKenzie Fine Art, New York, NY, "I want to take you higher,"

Cooper Classics Collection, "Colorscapes," Curated by Jennifer Gyr,

Scott White Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA,

The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA, "78th Annual Competition," Curated by Darsie Alexander

Musee De l'Elysee, Lausanne, Switzerland, "Je t’envisage," Curated by William Ewing

Scott White Contemporary Art, Telluride, CO, "Grand Opening Exhibition,"

Photographic Resource Center at Boston University, "Concerning the Spiritual in Photography," Curated by Leslie Brown

2003
Culturgest, Lisbon, Portugal, Curated by William Ewing,

Sara Nightingale Gallery, Water Mill, NY, "Fear of Flying,"

Jim Kempner Fine Art, New York, NY, "Photographs by Seven Contemporary Artists,"

Woodstock Center for Photography, Woodstock NY, "Photography 2003," Curated by Therese Mulligan

Sara Nightingale Gallery, Water Mill, NY

2002
International Center of Photography, New York, NY, "The House of Light," Curated by Bernard Yenelouis

American Space Gallery, New York, NY, "Gallery Artists Exhibition,"

Kingston Gallery, Boston MA, "New Art '02," Curated by Lelia Amalfitano

Houston Center for Photography, Houston, TX, Curated by Anne Tucker

International Center of Photography, New York, NY, "Faculty Exhibition,"

2001
"Here is New York," New York, NY,

Fulton Street Gallery, Troy, NY, "Contemporary Photography for the New Millenium," Curated by Anthony Montoya,

Benham Studio Gallery, Seattle, WA, "Deceit of the Intellect,"

2000
Fuller Museum of Art, Brockton, MA, "Material Revelations: Variations on Collage,"

Casa da Fotografia Fuji, Sao Paulo, Brazil, "Mostra De Portfolios 2000,"

Joel Soroka Gallery, Aspen, Colorado, "Gallery Artists Show,"

 

SELECTED COLLECTIONS:

Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA

Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris, France

Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY

Centro Internazionale di Fotografia, Milan, Italy

DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA

Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Lehigh University Art Galleries, Bethlehem, PA

Musee De l’Elysee, Lausanne, Switzerland

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX

Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego, CA

Museum of the City of New York, New York, NY

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA

Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA

Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, CA

Southeast Museum of Photography, Daytona Beach, FL

W. M. Hunt/Dancing Bear, New York, NY

Woodstock Center for Photography, Woodstock, NY

 

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

2008
Robert Schaefer, "Spirit With a Sleight of Hand," Double Exposure, April

Bill Armstrong, "An Accidental Photographer," Camera Arts, January- February, pp. 82-87

W. M. Hunt, "A Shadow in the Sun" Exhibition Catalogue, ClampArt, pp. 3-5

2007
Jerome Groopman, "Silent Minds" The New Yorker, October 15, p.39

Mary Voelz Chandler, "Neri’s Figures Impress," Rocky Mountain News, May 18, Spotlight

Michael Paglia, "Cold Pastoral," Westword, May 31, Arts and Entertainment

2006
William Ewing, FACE: The New Photographic Portrait, Thames and Hudson, pp. 212-213

Claire Stacey Shabsis, "Apparition," Eyemazing, April, pp. 112-119

A. D. Coleman, "Going to the Many," AG, April, pp. 30-41

A. D. Coleman, "Going to the Many," Lemon, February, pp. 85-92

Lewis H. Lapham, "Findings," Harpers, January, p. 96

David Schimke, "Calm in the Chaos," Utne Reader, January/February, pp. 47, 51

2005
A.D. Coleman, "Going to the Many," Exhibition Catalogue, ClampArt

Bill Armstrong, "Color Harmony in Photography," Photo Techniques, November/December, pp. 24-27

B. Allan Wallace, "What is true happiness?" Tricycle, Fall, pp. 71, 77, 84

Caroline Cunningham, "(american scene) photography RING MASTER," House & Garden, March, p. 93

Cate McQuaid, "Bypassing reason for feeling, soft-focus photos return," The Boston Globe, Jan. 14, p. E22

2004
Christopher Millis, "Photographs by Bill Armstrong," The Boston Phoenix, January 7, Arts p. 23

Charles Giuliano, Maverick Arts Magazine, Issue Number 165, January 10

Christine Temin, "These photographers don’t shoot for reality," The Boston Globe, Dec. 5

Robert Hirsch, Exploring Color Photography, McGraw-Hill, p. 263

James Murphy, "Fresh work IV," Exhibition catalogue, Southeast Museum of Photography, pp. 2-3, 4-5

William Ewing, "About Face," Exhibition Catalogue, Hayward Gallery, London, p. 51

Neil Kendricks, "Nerve Cell," The San Diego Union-Tribune, April 29, Visual Arts Section

Leslie Brown, "Concerning the Spiritual in Photography," In the Loupe, January-February, p. 4-8

2003
Stephen Perloff, The Photo Review, 2003, p. 43

William Ewing, "De Caras! O retrato esta morto! Viva la cara," Culturgest, Lisbon, p. 4

Eric Ernst, "Reverence for Body and Spirit," The Southampton Press, August 7, p. B13

Joan Baum, "In the Gallery," Southampton Independent, August 13, p. B9

Mairi Beautyman, "Update," Interior Design, July, p. 40

Chronogram, June, Cover

2002
Alice George, "Here is New York," A Democracy of Photographs, Scalo, p.397

Ben Widdecomb, "Private Eye: in collector John Bennette's world, image is everything."

Art & Auction, November, p. 94-107

Cate McQuaid, "Gallery Review," The Boston Globe, July 12, p. 17

2001
Rose Marie Nakamura, "L'homme qui murmure a l'oreille de l'infini," Art Actuel, May-June, pp. 68-71

Helena Tovar, "Viaje al Infinito," Foto Reflex, Ano 6, No. 27, pp. 25-32

Vince Aletti, "Photo Choices," The Village Voice, February 20

2000
Meghan Bragdon, "Material Revelations: Variations on Collage," Exhibition Catalogue, The Fuller Museum of Art

Anton Perich, "Interview," Night Magazine, July, 1997

Vince Aletti, "Photo Choices," The Village Voice, June 17, 1997

 

HONORS, AWARDS & PRIZES:

Acquisition Award, Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Winter Gala, 2008

Honorable Mention, Fine Art, Lucie International Photography Awards, 2004

Purchase Prize, Woodstock Center for Photography, Woodstock, NY, 2003

Best in Show, "New Art '02," Kingston Gallery, Boston, MA, July 2002, Juried by Lelia Amalfitano