What connects the retro-futuristic worlds of the video game No Man’s Sky with the sublime landscapes of 19th-century painter John Martin? The answer is Brighton, England-based artist Sam Williams, whose interstellar prints provide an optically intense and eye-stunningly beautiful escape.
A fan of the retro sci-fi look of No Man’s Sky, this month’s featured artist in PureHoney cites video games as an important influence. Part of their appeal, he says, is the gamer’s ability to explore innumerable, imagined planets, each with its own unique aesthetic. “The art design in games can be amazing,” Williams says. “Especially those that focus on style, atmosphere, and design instead of the endless pursuit of photorealistic graphics.”
“I’ve always played video games—from the old 8-bit games of my childhood (so many hours spent waiting for the tapes to load),” he continues. “I love how important the box art was in those old games: the limitations of the graphics meant the packaging had to do a lot of the heavy lifting. Imagination is needed to fill in the gaps, and the box art made for a great jumping-off point.”
Part of the visual appeal of Williams’s work is its economy of design. The prints featured on his personal portfolio page feature bold geometric patterning and strong leading lines, emphasizing the infinity of space. It’s quite a feat to world-build at such a level using a minimalist design strategy.
Years earlier on a trip to the Tate Modern with his family, Williams absorbed the overwhelming, sublime landscapes of populist painter John Martin (1789-1854). Known as he most popular painter in his day, Martin captivated audiences with his staggering depictions of natural beauty. Williams cites “the sense of scale, the tiny figures in the foreground dwarfed by massive buildings and landscapes” as Martin-inspired motifs in his own illustrations.
Williams’s work has also found favor with musicians. He designed the cover for rock band 311’s album, The Voyager, released in 2019 — a commission that, figuratively speaking, fell out of the sky. “The manager of 311 bought one of my prints and thought my sci-fi-themed work would be a good fit for their new album,” Williams says. “The band liked my work, so I sketched out a couple of ideas, and it went from there.”
“It was a great commission to work on—I love doing album covers, and the band was positive and responsive to my ideas while offering great suggestions to get it in line with their image,” he adds. “Client interaction is important in the success of a commission. Communication is key; otherwise, it can quickly become stale and labored. Luckily, they made it an absolute joy!”
Williams also works hand-in-hand with Brighton electronica artist BUNKR. ”For his covers, he’ll send me a rough mix of the album along with a couple of ideas for the artwork,” Williams says. “I’ll then stick my headphones on and work on the visuals with the album on repeat so I can immerse myself in the atmosphere of the music, so it really feeds into the images. It helps that I love his music!”
Currently, Williams is listening to SORCS 80, the latest from the prolific, shapeshifting California psychedelic punk band Osees. “It’s on regular rotation,” he raves. “They’re the full package: brilliant music, great album covers, and face-shredding awesome live!”
“Music is a huge part of my life — bordering on an obsession,” Williams says. “I don’t have a musical bone in my body, though, but I like it that way. I can appreciate it purely aesthetically, as the technicalities are a mystery to me — it’s like witchcraft! With visual art, a part of me is always trying to work out how it was done. So, with music it’s nice to just enjoy it!”
“At last count, I had nearly 2,000 CDs and a rapidly expanding vinyl collection,” he says. “There’s still so much more to discover! It takes up a lot of space, but I love scanning through the spines until I find something that pops out at that moment. It’s an experience that you don’t get from scrolling through a digital library, and there’s an almost ritual-like element that you get from playing a record. It encourages you to listen to it.”
Find Sam Williams at thechunkives.com ~ Kelli Bodle
