Palm Springs Desert Sun
March 6th, 2015 - Palm Springs, CA
PALM SPRINGS — It’s tempting to say it’s a brand new Dey for William Dey.
The New York stylist turned Palm Springs photographer is orbiting all around the art scene. His remarkable photo on metal, “Shadow Man,” highlight of a recent display at Koffi South, is entered in the juried ACE 2013 show at the Palm Springs Art Museum (Oct.15-Dec.8).
His ACE 2012 entry, “Pool Time,” sold the first day, by the way.
His work was first seen locally in the madly successful “Liquid Assets” show at Savage Gallery last year, then included in the Karen and Tony Barone-curated exhibit at UCR Palm Desert. This spring/summer he’s been involved in shows at Gallery 446 and the Archangel Art Collective, through September, where his take on our town as Oz drew notice.
For “Ruby Heels,” a standout of this series, Dey printed on acrylic giving a contemporary gloss to his view of “Dorothy,” sparkly red stiletto shoes on a diving board. The model was fashionista Laurie Weitz.
Dey, who uses his mother’s English maiden name instead of his father’s Czech signature, could be on a local best-dressed list, if there were one. So it follows that he designed a pima cotton T-shirt in collaboration with American Apparel. Labeled “Dey Tripping,” they’re sold exclusively at Raymond-Lawrence on North Palm Canyon, a piece of art at $38. The store also carries small prints and greeting cards by Dey.
Originally a Chicago stylist, Dey moved to Miami where photographer Carter Smith (Gentleman’s Quarterly, Details) would prove an influence. Dey says Smith “shoots fashion on location and there’s a great ease about his work.”
On to New York City where for 15 years Dey did lots of editorial, styling for Women’s Wear Daily, Glamour and Cosmopolitan magazines. “I’m still a magazine junky,” he says. It bothers some acquaintances that he cuts them up to add inspirational images to his files.
Styling wasn’t all glamour. “I was kind of burnt out. A lot of it was schlepping clothes around. It was not all that fulfilling.” He yearned to project his own vision. “Now,” he says, “I have complete control of the image