Lee is a native of Buffalo, NY, earning his BFA in Design from SUNY at Buffalo, with concentrations in typography and photography. After graduation in 1983, he began a career in the printing industry working as a pressman.
A desire for expression led him to pick up the camera again, starting Pugbully Studio in 2015. He quickly gained a following in his hometown of Lockport, NY, with images from the famous Flight of Five locks as it undergoes a historic restoration. Lee found a shared interest with patrons in subjects such as aviation, architecture and nature.
Lee’s clients have included Bank on Buffalo and Catholic Health Fund. He is currently a member at several area galleries including Buffalo’s Hallwalls, Lockport’s Kenan Gallery and Carnegie Art Center in North Tonawanda. As an exhibiting member of the Buffalo Society of Artists, his work has shown in esteemed spaces including the Castellani Art Museum. His solo show ‘Lit Buffalo’ at Flight Gallery in Larkenville was a well received last fall. Large prints of the canal hang in the courtroom in the City of Lockport. As a lifelong follower of the Roycroft movement in East Aurora, NY, Lee applied to the Emerging Artist program and was juried in as one of 4 cohorts for 2024.
He will be showing and selling his work December 7th and 8th during the Winter Festival, alongside Roycroft Master artisans from across the United States
Artist Statement
I create images by placing four sides around the view in front of me; a subject that has inspired me to press the shutter button, forever capturing a unique moment in time and space. I then endeavor to interpret what I have seen with my mind's eye through editing and physical presentation for others to experience from their own perspective.
I see beauty in history and in nature, in both shiny objects and in rust and restoration. I find inspiration in environments both quiet and loud, vibrant and still. The changing seasons here in western New York present an opportunity to experience a constantly evolving look at everyday life. I see a limitless supply of inspiration all around me. I take pleasure in making these moments available for others to appreciate and, perhaps, evoke curiosity and a furthering of ideas.
My workflow, while initially digital, culminates in the physical presentation of my work through various printing and framing mediums. Viewing my images on a screen is a necessary part of production, but holding the finished piece, experiencing the texture of the paper, creating the manifestation of an idea through display techniques, brings completion.
Sharing the experience behind my images has also become an integral part of my process. I take great pleasure in meeting and talking with those interested in my captured subjects. Oftentimes I find that others have deep connections to nature or places I have photographed that they are willing to share, furthering my own understanding of the profound ability we have to connect through art.
Work exhibited in:
The Comma-East Aurora ~ Carnegie Art Center-N.Tonawanda
Kenan Gallery-Lockport ~ WNY Artist Gallery-Buffalo ~ FlightGalleryBflo
Castellani Art Museum w/BSA-Niagara Falls
“ I am captivated by the beauty of our landscapes and the history that we have inherited. Being able to find interesting details in a larger composition stirs up a passion toward creating a final piece to print and share.”
“Thank you for your interest.
Please feel free to leave a comment and/or contact me regarding prints or commissions."
Lee Williams; Locking Westward from Kenan Center on Vimeo.
08 - Lockport's Flight of Five from Low Bridge Productions on Vimeo.
Lee Williams 2022