Design Student Celebrates Regional History in Campus Show
Ben Williams is approaching the end of his undergraduate career in photo and lens-based design at BYU. He’s finished his capstone project and looks forward to an internship this summer in addition to attending his courses, so it’s a bit of a wonder he has found time for this personal project outside his class requirements during the last four years. The name of the project is “No Vacancy: Hotels of the American West,” and it is an exhibit of photos depicting vintage hotels in the Western United States (in Gallery 1313 until February 5).
Williams said being a “country romantic” and “road trip junkie” are his main internal motivations behind the show. A close look at his work shows this casual rhetoric belies a meticulous design ethic he invests in production and composition.
“These establishments, with their eclectic exterior and nostalgic interiors, serve as windows into the unique geography and history of their regions,” Williams says in his artist statement written on the wall of Gallery 1313. The hotels also offer a chance to “immerse ourselves in the cultural tapestry they represent.” The exhibit gives viewers the chance to experience the culture without needing to travel.
The photos are printed on archival pigment print paper to last throughout time, and the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies acknowledged the historical value of his exhibition with a grant to support his travels. Williams stayed in all but one of the lodgings he chronicled. The exception being a bed and breakfast in Provo that didn’t require an overnight stay.
Williams also acknowledges the BYU Department of Design for its contribution: mentoring, equipment and a remarkable lab. He took all the photos with film, rather than a digital camera, and he was quick to express his gratitude for Carlos Sanchez, manager of the design print lab.
His artist statement indicates the economic support these hotels need to maintain their unique contribution to history, and his remarkable depiction of them can create longing to visit. Williams has simple hotel names and locations as his titles; those who want to visit can. Williams said, I encourage the viewers of this show to consider staying in these hotels and experiencing the West as I did, firsthand.”
Viewers may not feel the need to travel though. The choice of honed detail against hazy forms, capturing the shine of a porcelain tub, creating a warm glow in a green-lit room, depicting the blistered walls of old bar walls, are all details that one could miss or simply not see without an expert eye, expert lens, expert print. The gallery’s interior was made as uniquely satisfying as any lodging. Williams says the photo “windows” into these interiors are already being sold and traded, though he hopes to find another venue for his unique view of western history in the near future.
