Posts Tagged ‘fall 2009 collection’

New images of my Scottsdale contemporary art show now on flickr

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

Scottsdale Contemporary Art

Images of Circles with Corners, my current Scottsdale contemporary art show on Marshall Way in Scottsdale, are now available in this flickr set. I thank my friend Robert Bell for helping me take some ultra-high-res images.

Presented by Soyal Gallery, my Scottsdale contemporary art show brings together 35 paintings that I have made over the past four years. My fall 2009 collection of contemporary abstract paintings forms the nucleus of this show.

I’m very pleased about the coverage that this show has had in the media so far. Locally owned Java Magazine gave my exhibition a full-page article, written by Scott Andrews. Likewise, Phoenix New Times blogged about Soyal and other upstart Marshall Way galleries that are changing the Scottsdale contemporary art landscape.

Our opening-night turnout was fantastic, as well, and I thank everyone who stopped by to say hello.

I have more exciting news to share with you very soon. Meantime, hope you enjoy my new set of images on flickr.

— Grant Wiggins

Scottsdale Contemporary Art

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Solo Scottsdale art show to open April 1

Saturday, February 13th, 2010

I have some super-exciting news to share with you: This April I shall be having my first solo art show in more than three years — and it shall be a Scottsdale art show, in downtown Scottsdale’s Marshall Way art gallery district, no less. For me, this is a dream come true; I have always wanted to find a way into the Scottsdale market, but the parameters never seemed right.

The venue for this Scottsdale art show will be Soyal, at 4200 N. Marshall Way. Opening night is Thursday, April 1. The show will continue through the end of month, although we’re still deciding upon an end date. What’s more, this will be Soyal’s grand-opening show.

Plans have materialized very quickly. My longtime friend Spencer Hibert (brother of Oliver Hibert, with whom I’ve shown many times) called me Wednesday afternoon to invite me to have the show. Because this will be the gallery’s first exhibition, I was tremendously honored to be the first artist in the gallery’s lineup.

Up until that point, Spencer and I had been collaborating off and on for months on a mural for an art gallery / videogame arcade / vegan donut shop that he wanted to start. See sketches for the mural. As fate would have it, a bigger and brighter opportunity presented itself in downtown Scottsdale. At Soyal, Spencer and business partner Emmett Potter will be exhibiting emerging artists from around the world, bringing work to Scottsdale that metropolitan Phoenix has not yet witnessed in person.

What does Soyal mean? As Spencer explains, Soyal is the Hopi term for a yearly solstice celebration in which a party is thrown to distract the plumed snake from swallowing the sun. “It symbolizes a new beginning of growth. And that is exactly what I want to bring to Scottsdale … to bring something new to the scene,” he writes.

As for me, I’m still trying out names for the Scottsdale art show, and deciding upon how I want to lay it out. “Circles with Corners,” what I called my Fall 2009 collection, is up for consideration. So is “Face the Future” and “Exact and Intact.” Plus, I have quite a bit of wall space to work with, so I’d like to take advantage of that, and make an immersive experience for the viewer. I want to go beyond rectangles and squares on a wall. Then again, I have just under seven weeks to pull this off, so I have to be realistic about my goals.

As things develop, I’ll be posting updates to this space. Be sure to sign up for blog updates if you’re interested in receiving them.

Until next time!

— Grant Wiggins

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Fall 2009 Collection of Paintings Now Online

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

With the arrival of the autumnal equinox, at 21:18 UTC (2:18 PDST), I present to you my very own “fall harvest”: my Fall 2009 Collection of paintings.

I call it Circles with Corners, and you will find it in this gallery of contemporary abstract paintings.

geometric abstraction
Click image above to view the entire collection

The collection brings together 18 works that I have painted since early July. It encompasses 10 full-scale paintings, 2 smaller works and 6 studies. All are acrylic on canvas. Although I worked very hard to produce as much, I surely wish I could have made more. I always do.

For that reason, I very well may add more pieces to this collection over the next couple of weeks. There remain a few more ideas I’d like to explore; the autumnal equinox arrived before I could give them form.

Why do I call this collection Circles with Corners? For one, there is a literal sense: The controlling design, which I continue to return to throughout this collection, has a rounded hexagonal shape. It is like a circle with corners, and it embodies my idea of “geometric abstraction.” Two, since I continued to revisit the same design, there is a circularity going on; yet, I also took it in new directions — I turned a corner a few times.

Will there be a Spring 2010 collection? It all depends on how well this concept is received. If you demand one loudly enough, I just might oblige!

I must admit that focusing my creative energy on one goal — a unified collection with a controlling theme of geometric abstraction — has been an exhilarating experience. I’ve learned so much about my art-making process, and I’ve reconnected with my instincts, creatively.

I hope you enjoy the collection, and I look forward to your feedback.

Best,
Grant Wiggins

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An update on my Fall 2009 Painting Collection

Friday, September 4th, 2009

Of late, I have been working with notable alacrity on my fall 2009 painting collection, which I will unveil on the autumnal equinox: Tuesday, September 22, 21:18 UTC. More about the idea behind the collection of paintings.

fall 2009 painting collection
My painting table on September 4, 2009, as I near the home stretch of completing my fall 2009 painting collection.

Despite the occasional “big decision” about where this painting collection is headed, I am very much enjoying the process of making this painting collection happen. Making is what art is all about, after all.

So, as I write this, I have completed 12 pieces thus far. In other words, I am 80 percent of the way toward my stated goal of 15 works. The painting collection could approach 20 works, if I’m fortunate to have the requisite time.

I would show you images of these new works, but I don’t want to diminish the suspense.

To speed the process of giving form to my ideas and sketches, I have begun to use canvas panels — which is a surprise, because I once discounted them, albeit wrongly. Panels have freed up my time tremendously; I don’t spend hours stretching canvas over stretcher bars, only to remove the finished canvases, and roll them up, later.

I have discovered that canvas panels are perfect for painting studies, and variations of paintings. They enable me to test new ideas economically.

I once thought that every painting I made had to be as huge as possible. Now I’m enjoying the economy of expression afforded by making smaller modern paintings, in the range of 20 – 30cm.

Long story short, I’m finding that one painting is easily translating to the next. And dare I say it, painting is fun again.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress. Can’t wait to unveil the collection.

Best,
Grant Wiggins

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Fall 2009 collection of paintings to debut September 22

Saturday, August 22nd, 2009

fall 2009 collection of paintings

Exactly one month from today, on the first day of autumn — September 22, at 5:18 p.m. EDST, to be exact — I will debut my Fall 2009 Collection of paintings. The collection will bring together approximately 15 paintings that I have been working on since mid-July.

I will publish the collection of paintings as a complete gallery on my site’s Paintings gallery.

I have initiated the following countdown clock to keep track of the time remaining before I launch my Fall 2009 Collection of paintings into Internet space.

What is my motivation behind producing a Fall 2009 Collection of modern paintings?

Essentially, I’m jealous of how fashion designers (fashion houses) customarily showcase their collections according to a set schedule. So much creativity and planning is funneled into a set of points situated throughout the calendar year. When a fashion collection is unveiled, it’s a big deal — a defining moment — and the world takes notice.

In the sphere of visual art, things can be very different. An artist creates new works one at a time, over time. Yet, without an exhibition to work toward — or a simple deadline, even — the process of making art work just tends to flow along.

Goals are very important to my artmaking process. When I’m working toward a goal or deadline, my process making art goes into high gear; I’m much more productive and focused. I find that I spend more time making and less time thinking about what I’m going to make.

Art psychology aside, I thought the first minute of a new season would be the perfect moment to launch my Fall 2009 Collection of paintings. If things go according to plan, I will repeat the process again in December with a Winter 2009-2010 Collection.

There’s one piece to the collection of paintings that I have yet made concrete: Whether I will show this collection in the physical world. I am currently entertaining an idea to show the collection at a boutique, shop or gallery in Greater Phoenix, Arizona at some time in late September or early October. I will certainly make those details known as plans unfold.

Anyway, it’s back to work for me. Thanks for stopping by to check things out. More soon, I can assure you!

— Grant Wiggins

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