Born in Texas to a military family in 1953, Randy Willier grew up mainly in the Midwest and Europe. As a youth, he attended many different schools before graduating from Frankfurt American High School in West Germany. Later, he studied the art of printmaking and received a BFA from Kansas State University in 1975 and an MFA from Indiana University in 1982. He then sold everything he owned and moved to New York City. There he lived a full and eventful life as an East Village artist, painting and exhibiting studio work and doing decorative and mural painting, illustration, set building, backdrop painting, photography, modeling and bicycle racing. He escaped New York on September 9, 2001 and moved to Rhode Island.
Academic areas of interest
At this moment, Willier’s research has turned towards design, screenprinting and surf/skate culture. In the studio, his work has revolved around a newfound interest in type combined with hand-drawn images to create surface decoration on everything from surf/skateboards to limited-edition T-shirts.
Courses
Fall 2023 Courses
ILLUS 3704-01 - PRINTMAKING TECHNIQUES FOR ILLUSTRATORS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIllustration
Subject Illustration
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
ILLUS 3704-01
PRINTMAKING TECHNIQUES FOR ILLUSTRATORS
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIllustration
Subject Illustration
PeriodFall 2023
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: F | 1:10 PM - 6:10 PMInstructor(s): Randy WillierLocation(s): Washington Place, Room 003; Washington Place, Room 018Enrolled / Capacity: 12Status: Closed
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course surveys a wide range of effects possible through versatile printmaking methods including monotype, relief printing and drypoint. The emphasis is on experimentation rather than editioning prints.
This course is meant to give students an understanding of the process of serigraphy. Using the basic T-shirt as the format, emphasis will be on creating and developing a concept: learning and implementing the techniques of silk-screen in order to produce wearable illustration. The course will also include historical and contemporary issues on the phenomenon of the printed shirt, including uses ranging from social protest to advertising and the use of the body as a substrate for images. A variety of techniques will explore everything from simple handmade stencils to the use of photo/computer technology to create individual designs. Assignments will be given through the developmental phase, and in-class critiques will play an important role in determining the final product. By the end of the semester, students will also investigate the business/commercial side of silk-screening, including at-home studio setup, recordkeeping and selling the product.
Elective
Spring 2024 Courses
ILLUS 3712-01 - THE SILKSCREENED POSTER
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIllustration
Subject Illustration
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
ILLUS 3712-01
THE SILKSCREENED POSTER
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIllustration
Subject Illustration
PeriodSpring 2024
Credits3
FormatStudio
ModeIn-Person
Start and End2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Times: TH | 1:10 PM - 6:10 PMInstructor(s): Randy WillierLocation(s): Washington Place, Room 003Enrolled / Capacity: 15Status: Open
SECTION DESCRIPTION
For half a millennium, posters (or broadsides as they were called) have attracted the attention and sparked the imagination of viewers through much of the world. The best posters are both visually striking and communicative. Designs usually incorporate image and text; but are often effective with either text or image alone. In this class we will learn the essentials of silkscreen printing in the context of studying a bit of the history of serigraph poster design: from historic fine artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha, to more contemporary illustrators like Seymour Chwast and Shephard Fairey. Students will be designing and printing several editions, experimenting with hand- drawn and digitally produced art and typography. The nature of the silk-screened image allows for investigation of various color palettes or structures for a single image. No printmaking or digital experience required.
