Contemporary Artist Grant Wiggins: An Artist Statement
As a contemporary artist, my work negotiates the seemingly opposed polarities of minimalist and maximalist art.
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My interest in minimalist art — a compositional strategy that relies on essential elements — has inspired me to produce nonrepresentational, geometric paintings with colorful curves and interlocking shapes.
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Yet, I am also fascinated by maximalism — or my version of it, at least — in which I fashion geometric paintings with disorienting "mix-and-clash" arrangements, where graphical elements such as patterns, stripes, broken corporate logos and jarring colors collide.
While I consider myself a modern painter, I am not satisfied to produce art with only one kind of "look." While I am fascinated by the reductive, pure forms found in minimalist art, I enjoy experimenting with the over-the-top, high-octane ornamentation found in maximalism. Time after time, I get inspired by a minimalist art ideal, only to get bored and start decorating again.
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Regardless of which compositional strategy I am employing, design remains the common genetic thread in my work. I find inspiration in everything from consumer products — packaging boxes of prepared foods and race car designs — to vintage geometric textiles, Op Art, and brutalist architecture.
Rather than explain away my work, I am a contemporary artist and modern painter who prefers to let my work operate on its own terms, leaving the viewer to experience, and hopefully enjoy, the literal act of seeing.
Biography
Born in 1973, in Cleveland, Ohio
Resides in Tempe, Arizona
Education
2000 Arizona State University; Tempe, Arizona; MBA
1996 Northwestern University; Evanston, Illinois; MA, English
1995 Kenyon College; Gambier, Ohio; BA, English
Solo Exhibitions
2006
Maximal Minimal; .anti_space; Phoenix, Arizona
2001
Treasures from the Xerxes Nebula; reZurrection Gallery; Tempe, Arizona
Irrational Exuberance; Aosis/Freedom; Tempe, Arizona
Group Exhibitions
(* Denotes juried exhibition; ** Denotes catalogue published)
2009
Chaos Theory 10; Legend City Studios; Phoenix, Arizona
2009 Arizona Biennial; Tucson Museum of Art; Tuscon, Arizona
Curated by Tim Rodgers, Chief Curator, New Mexico Museum of Art
2008
Painting; Foundry Art Centre; St. Charles, Missouri *
Curated by Ron Thomas
TCA Biennial: Paper; Tempe Center for the Arts; Tempe, Arizona *
Curated by Anne Coe, Joe D'Ambrosio and John Risseeuw
2007
Think Small 4; ArtSpace Gallery; Richmond, Virginia
Global Warming: Artists Speak. Orange County Center for Contemporary Art **
2007 Arizona Biennial. Tucson Museum of Art; Tucson, Arizona *
Curated by Diane Perry Vanderlip, Curator, Denver Museum of Art
2005
Think Small 3; ArtSpace Gallery; Richmond, Virginia
Five-Year Retrospective; reZurrection Gallery; Tempe, Arizona
2005 Arizona Biennial; Tucson Museum of Art; Tucson, Arizona *
Curated by Siri Engberg, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
Art One Gallery; Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona
Furniture Art Designers Showcase; monOrchid; Phoenix, Arizona
2004
Fresh Paint; Phoenix Art Museum **
Mass Surrealism; Thought Crime; Phoenix, Arizona
2003
Cannibal Flower Underground Art Show; Los Angeles (various sites)
Popped Out; monOrchid; Phoenix, Arizona
2003 Arizona Biennial; Tucson Museum of Art; Tucson, Arizona * **
Curated by Toby Kamps, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
2002
Modes of Variance; Kontrive; Tempe, Arizona
2001
The State of America; reZurrection Gallery; Tempe, Arizona
Other Projects
Phoenix Art Museum Children's Gallery: 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)
Bibliography
2009
Regan, Margaret. "Multiple Strands: Early-Career Artists Take up Many of the Slots at the Tucson Museum of Art's 'Biennial '09.'" Tucson Weekly. July 30, 2009. Article here.
2007
Patafio, Melissa. "Biennial Trifecta." 944 (Phoenix, Arizona). June 2007. p. 62
2006
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).2004
Roberts, Brady, M. Fresh Paint. Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Catalogue. Phoenix Art Museum, 2004
2003
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. Article here.
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
2002
Rose, Joshua. "Modes of Variance: Paintings by Oliver Hibert and Grant Wiggins," Shade, October 2002, pp. 42-3
2001
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
Contact information for
Grant Wiggins:
Phone
480-557-0115
Global headquarters
1242 E Loma Vista Drive
Tempe, Arizona 85282
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