Archive for March, 2010

Details about my upcoming solo show at Soyal Gallery in Scottsdale

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Now that my solo show at Soyal Gallery in Scottsdale is officially two weeks away from today. Here are the official details about the show:

Artist: Grant Wiggins
Name of Show: Circles with Corners
Gallery: Soyal Gallery
Address: 4200 N. Marshall Way, Suites 2 and 3, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Google map with driving directions
Gallery web site: soyalgallery.com
On display: April 1 through May 15, 2010
Opening reception: Thursday, April 1, 2010, starting at 7 p.m.
Gallery hours:
   Tuesdays: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Fridays: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
   Wednesdays: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturdays: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
   Thursdays: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
soyal gallery art show

About the show: I will showcase a wide number of new “reductive” paintings, characterized by clean edges, bold geometric shapes, and vibrant combinations of colors. The show is built upon, and expands upon, my Fall 2009 collection of paintings. This will be my first solo show in more than three years.

Why the show is called Circles with Corners: To me, Circles with Corners has two meanings. First the controlling design of this collection of paintings features a hexagonal shape, which resembles a circle with corners. Metaphorically, I think the creative process is circular — I keep returning to certain designs, and try to build upon them. But in that process, I encounter detours — corners within the circle — that make the adventure of making art so interesting.

About Soyal Gallery: The exhibit will be the first solo show organized by Soyal Gallery. Co-owners Emmett F. Potter III and Spencer Hibert are two local Phoenix artists ready to bring something fresh and exciting to the Scottsdale art district.

Spencer Hibert says: “The name of the gallery, Soyal, is the Hopi tribe’s yearly winter solstice celebration. It symbolizes a new beginning of growth; and that is exactly what we want to bring to the area. Grant is important to us because he has always pushed the boundaries with his imagery and bold use of color. Grant and his work represent a progressive movement towards modern aesthetics.”

Emmett Potter says: “With Soyal, we are really excited to have the chance to expose people to an art scene that has been gaining momentum in places like Tokyo, San Francisco, London and New York,” according to Potter. It was important for us to kick this off with a local artist, like Grant, that we felt would help tie Scottsdale into that movement.”

What I have to say about Soyal: “For me, being invited to be the ‘lead-off’ painter in Soyal Gallery’s lineup of artists is a true honor, and I plan to show my appreciation by putting together a solid show.”

See you there!

Grant Wiggins

Robert McCall

Monday, March 1st, 2010

I learned today that legendary space artist Robert McCall passed away, on Friday, February 26, at the age of 90.


Robert McCall, painting a mural at a NASA center. Credit: NASA

robert mccall

To many, McCall was known as the artist who painted the poster for 2001: A Space Odyssey. Others knew him as one of the great painters of the NASA program, from the 1960s onward.

I had the pleasure of viewing McCall’s 2008 show, Imagination Unbound, at the the University of Arizona Museum of Art. I keep a copy of the promotional flier for the show on the wall of my studio, by the door. I see it practically every day, and it helps to set the tone for the art I enjoy making so much.

I have been moved by Robert McCall’s bold vision for the future, as well as his precise rendering of concepts and environments that are so challenging to imagine. What’s more, I can never get enough of looking at his work. Especially in his most imaginative works, there’s always something new to see.

Robert McCall was one of the people that made Arizona great. Knowing that he lived here, just miles away, made me feel better about living here. I am thankful that he so generously donated many of his works to the University of Arizona Museum of Art Visual Arts Archive.

Thank you for inspiring me, Robert McCall. We will miss you.

Grant Wiggins

Below: Fantasia with 23rd Century Megastructures, a 2006 painting I made that was inspired, in part, by Robert McCall.

robert mccall