Archive for May, 2010

Visual artist Spencer Hibert wins Big Brain Award

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
Grant Wiggins Spencer Hibert
Yours truly, pretending to have won the award, with Spencer Hibert (right), who actually won the award. Photo expertly taken by Tara Logsdon.

I congratulate my friend (and Soyal Gallery co-director) Spencer Hibert on winning the Big Brain Award, in the category of visual arts, from the Phoenix New Times last night. The award recognizes inventive “emerging creatives” in the Greater Phoenix, Arizona area. Read about the award recipients.

I witnessed Spencer’s coronation at last night’s awards ceremony, held at Madcap Theater in Tempe — and I must say it was really a fantastic moment. I am very happy for Spencer and wish him all of the best with his artistic pursuits.

After the awards, I cajoled Spencer into taking a photograph with me, pretending to have won the award.

One of Spencer’s plastic Miigii creatures was featured on the cover of the May 20 Phoenix New Times; the article about him in that issue also mentions my solo show at Soyal Gallery: “Several of the pieces in the gallery’s first show (super-graphic paintings by Grant Wiggins) actually sold, though the two-month-old gallery’s far from becoming a Marshall Way mainstay.”

Congrats, Spencer! Awesome show! Great job!

— Grant Wiggins

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Press coverage of my Soyal Gallery show

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

As my show at Soyal Gallery nears an end (It closes this Saturday, May 15.), I’d like to share a couple of press clippings that have cropped up over the past two weeks. I’m quite pleased to say that my work has graced the pages of Phoenix Home and Garden (May issue.), Scottsdale Republic (Saturday, May 8 edition; image here) and Java Magazine (May issue, all through the ever-popular Club Cam section).

Here’s the Phoenix Home and Garden clip:

phoenix home and garden

As this article was in development, writer Judy Harper asked me where my painting titles come from. Interesting question! And this became the focus of the write-up. For a bit more context, here is my full response, dated March 18:

“By nature, my paintings are nonrepresentational. In other words, they don’t depict, or represent, anything found in reality. Some artists paint pictures of cows, landscapes and people. I’m different, I guess. I have always wanted to paint things that don’t exist, whether it’s made-up product packaging or geometric elements. That said, there’s nothing to ‘get’ about my work. Everyone should be able to see my paintings for what they are: paintings.”

“I believe that titles have a way of forcing the viewer to see something in a painting, or make sense of what is going on in the painting. Therefore, I deliberately choose titles that don’t mean anything … they are merely combinations of letters, generated by software or scrambled translations. To me, this makes more sense than naming a painting Untitled.”

“Long story short, I don’t want to color the viewer’s perceptions of what they see. The painting should stand on its own. Before my paintings, viewers should have the opportunity to experience the literal act of seeing.”

Also, I’d like to thank Java Magazine Publisher/Editor Robert Sentinery for publishing several images of my Soyal show opening, which was a great time. Do take a moment to see the full issue here. Below is a sample; see images 3 and 8.

On that note, I’m back to the easel, painting away. No time for stopping!

Best,
Grant Wiggins

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