William Petty is today a renowned creator of typical “gaucho” scenes who has added the power of polo to the rural settings of his works, in recognition of the strife and success of the many fine polo players that the Pampas have yielded.
Born 56 years ago in northern Santa Fe, Argentina, he spent his childhood in the countryside, a fact that has undoubtedly determined the character of his work and bestows a definite personality on the images depicting his world. His horses seem to come alive, in the search of the clear horizons of these noble lands. Upon seeing Bill Petty´s horses, you realize these animals are exceptionally beautiful, their harmonious movements and expressions incredibly vivid and elegant.
Whenever Petty paints polo scenes, his skill shows the competitive power that exists beyond a seemingly simple game. Elegance and forcefulness bespeak the dramatic commitment of humans and animals under a spell.
As is usual among artists, Petty knew his calling ever since he was a young boy. “I was lucky in having my parent´s support. My mother –half welsh, half “criolla”- is a very sensitive woman. And my father, an Irishman who did not seem to make much of my artistic inclinations, also endorsed my initiatives”. Surely his saxon roots have something to do with the clear conciseness of his speech.
Even though he loves Argentina and its countryside, his youth was spent in Europe, where he took art lessons and started pouring his heart on canvas. He has always maintained a close relationship with foreign cultures and countries: in the 80´s he was invited to exhibit his work at the Schillay & Rehs Inc. Gallery, New York. Ever since then, his paintings have been exhibited and sold abroad. In 1990 he was also present at the Richmond Gallery in London and he exhibited more of his talent at the Indian House in New York.
Several of his paintings are also part of major collections, like the one belonging to Charles, Prince of Wales; the Polo Horse Circle in Sao Paulo, besides J.Hallgreen, Sweden and L.O Epstein in New York, among others.
”There are no secrets: all you need to do is work hard and follow a method. Otherwise, it all comes to nothing.”, he replies when asked about his secrets.
A husband and father of two teenagers, he knows only too well that talent and expressiveness must always go side by side with hard work.
According to him, this is the only way to achieve the wonder that is evident in the enthusiastic, powerful images that have made him famous.