Perspective: Artist William Goodman

Artist William Goodman transforms musical icons into vibrant street art-inspired portraits, exploring creativity, legacy, and the evolution of artistic expression

William Goodman painting in his studio
Goodman
Credit: Madeline Tess Farmer

Two stacks of paintings lean against the wall in William Goodman's studio.

One collection features graphically rendered portraits of musical icons, their faces emerging from backgrounds that mimic urban street art. These compositions celebrate cultural legends, suspended at their creative peaks and defiant against time's erosion.

His exuberant, creative exploits with fellow artists in Fondren Corner during the early 2000s are well-known when the crew of up-and-coming Jackson creatives like Ginger Williams-Cook, Jason Twiggy Lott, and Josh Hailey ran amok and churned out raw art at all hours and every turn. But though this physical space is familiar and staid, Goodman is not the same. He has fresh perspective.

"Back then, I was searching for my voice," Goodman says of his formative years. "We were just wild. Letting loose. Nothing else mattered. Now, we're professional working artists."

"Homecoming"
36"x48"
Mixed Media on Wooden Panel
"Homecoming" 36"x48" Mixed Media on Wooden Panel
Credit: William Goodman

His paintings jump forth with vibrant energy—pop music icons rendered in dynamic street-art style, with graffiti-tag flourishes that channel the populist, rogue expressions of modern America. These works pay homage to musical heroes who have transitioned: Bowie, Elvis, Lennon, with many more to come.

"I'm still doing the same kind of stuff," he says, "but it feels more grown up." The work retains its raw edge but now carries the intentionality that comes with adulting.

The other stack contains abstract works—meditations on self, poured out in color like improvised jazz. "The abstract work just comes out of me," he explains. "It's a release. When I crank the music up and get the colors out, it's a type of therapy."

Both representational and abstract pieces embody his artistic growth. "I don't think I could've made something like this earlier," Goodman reflects. "I could have used these colors, but I don't think I could've nailed this composition. I see things differently now."

When he comes into the studio every day at nine o'clock, he might as well be clocking in. The artist who "always went to the beat of my own drum" now approaches his craft with purposeful discipline.

"I don't believe any artist has truly made it until they're dead," he says, smiling. His ongoing series continues to resurrect musical legends through paint—a testament to art's power to transcend temporal boundaries.

"I have more," he says, as if it were a mantra—promising continued exploration of creativity, memory, and artistic transformation.

With reporting from Julian Rankin © Find It In Fondren