My work veers somewhere between the compositional polarities of minimalism and maximalism. While I am fascinated by the non-representational paring down to absolute, pure forms found in minimalism, I continue to gravitate toward the over-the-top, mix-and-clash style of maximalism, which combines patterns, lines, and colors in anything-goes manner.
In her book Maximalism, Charlotte Rivers helps to explain the dynamics of this interplay: "As humans we go through phases, and that is reflected in everything we create and everything with which we surround ourselves, from clothes to music to home decoration. We get into minimalism, become bored, and start decorating."
Design—particularly product packaging—remains the common ground in my work. I find inspiration in everything from boxes of prepared foods, to race car designs, to vintage geometric patterns. Design aims to provide visual solutions. Employed in the context of art, design has a power that seems strangely out of place. This strangeness keeps me motivated to paint more.
Born in 1973, in Cleveland, Ohio
Resides in Tempe, Arizona
2000 Arizona State University; Tempe, Arizona; MBA
1996 Northwestern University; Evanston, Illinois; MA, English
1995 Kenyon College; Gambier, Ohio; BA, English
Dec 1 - 3
Maximal Minimal; .anti_space; Phoenix, Arizona
Aug 3 - Sep 1
Treasures from the Xerxes Nebula; reZurrection Gallery; Tempe, Arizona
Feb - Mar
Irrational Exuberance; Aosis/Freedom; Tempe, Arizona
(* Denotes juried exhibition; ** Denotes catalogue published)
Oct 10 - Nov 21
Painting; Foundry Art Centre; St. Charles, Missouri *
Curated by Ron Thomas
Sep 6 - Jan 10 2009
TCA Biennial: Paper; Tempe Center for the Arts; Tempe, Arizona *
Curated by Anne Coe, Joe D'Ambrosio and John Risseeuw
Nov 2 - Dec 22
Think Small 4; ArtSpace Gallery; Richmond, Virginia
Sep 1 - 29
Global Warming: Artists Speak. Orange County Center for Contemporary Art **
May 19 - Aug 19
2007 Arizona Biennial. Tucson Museum of Art; Tucson, Arizona *
Curated by Diane Perry Vanderlip, Curator, Denver Museum of Art
Nov 4 - Dec 17
Think Small 3; ArtSpace Gallery; Richmond, Virginia
Aug 13 - Sep 2
Five-Year Retrospective; reZurrection Gallery; Tempe, Arizona
May 13 - Aug 21
2005 Arizona Biennial; Tucson Museum of Art; Tucson, Arizona *
Curated by Siri Engberg, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
Summer 2005
Art One Gallery; Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona
Apr 1 - Apr 30
Furniture Art Designers Showcase; monOrchid; Phoenix, Arizona
Nov 1 - Mar 15
Fresh Paint (with Oliver Hibert, Mark Freedman, Chris Ballantyne, Mario Correa, and Sush Machida Gaikotsu); Phoenix Art Museum **
Jan 2004
Mass Surrealism (with Ralph Brekan and James B. Hunt); Thought Crime; Phoenix, Arizona
Cannibal Flower Underground Art Show; Los Angeles (various sites)
May 16 - Jul 27
Popped Out (with Oliver Hibert and Mark Freedman); monOrchid; Phoenix, Arizona
May - Aug
2003 Arizona Biennial; Tucson Museum of Art; Tucson, Arizona * **
Curated by Toby Kamps, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
Sep - Oct
Modes of Variance; Kontrive; Tempe, Arizona
Dec 2001
The State of America; reZurrection Gallery; Tempe, Arizona
Phoenix Art Museum Children's Gallery: 35-foot wall mural and accompanying graphics (2004-05 school year)
Maricopa Community Colleges: Posters for "Popular Culture" lecture series (2004-05 and 2005-06 school years)
Patafio, Melissa. "Biennial Trifecta." 944 (Phoenix, Arizona). June 2007. p. 62
Barzso, Tain. "It's the Arts." The Noise (Flagstaff, Arizona). Mar 2006. p. 12
Barzso, -----. "It's the Arts." The Noise. Jan 2006. Cover and pp. 12-3
Jhaveri, Keri and Brian McHugh (Producers). January 22, 2006. Sunday Artist Series. Phoenix, Arizona: KNXV-TV (ABC 15).Roberts, Brady, M. Fresh Paint. Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Catalogue. Phoenix Art Museum, 2004
Phoenix New Times. "Who's Cool." December 12, 2003
Villani, John Carlos. "Downtown Artists Get Taste of the Big Time," The Arizona Republic, November 16, 2003, pp. E1, E5
Buchanan, Susy. "Fresh Paint: Art Junkies," Phoenix New Times, November 4, 2003, p. 51. Story is online
Scott, Miriam A. "The TRA25Capsule: Popped Art," Switch, November 2003, pp. 8-13
Hiett, Christina S. "Kamping in Arizona," Shade, June 2003, pp. 36-8
Tucson Museum of Art. Arizona Biennial '03, 2003
Parker, Oriana. "The Downtown Phoenix Art Scene: Poised for Greatness," The Arizona Republic, May 25, 2003, AZ Style p. 5
McIntyre, Ernest. "New Exhibit Proves that Pop Art Didn't Die with Warhol," The Arizona Republic, May 16, 2003
Koch, Jill. "Pop Goes the Easel," Phoenix New Times. May 14, 2003, p. 41
Freedman, Mark, Oliver Hibert, and Grant Wiggins. "In Their Own Words." Shade, April 2003, pp. 43-4
"Mass Market: Pop Imagery from a New Generation," Metro, April 2003, p. 90
Rose, Joshua. "Modes of Variance: Paintings by Oliver Hibert and Grant Wiggins," Shade, October 2002, pp. 42-3
Burnett, Roberta. "Wiggins' Show Turns Ads into Art," The Arizona Republic, August 17, 2001
Villani, -----. "Enigmatic Art Takes You on Road Trip through Desert," The Arizona Republic, August 11, 2003, p. E3
Jones, Mark. "Lampooning Logos," Scottsdale Tribune and East Valley Tribune, August 3, 2001, D1
Provencio, Claudia. "A Whole New World," The Arizona Republic, February 21, 2001, The Rep, p. 30
Contact information for
Grant Wiggins:
480-557-0115
1242 E Loma Vista Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85282
Be the first to know about upcoming shows, deals on prints and paintings in the wiggz.com shop, and so much more.
Subscribe