When Gerald Wiggins (b. 1968) makes art, he is “not necessarily trying to say something to people. I’m just trying to make them happy, because there is not enough happiness.” Wiggins’ depictions of human figures, animal life, and fantastical creatures are stunningly accomplished. Working with colored pencil, marker, graphite, and watercolor, as well as with digital printmaking software, Wiggins’ drawings are uncluttered and precise and use a spare, controlled line and careful coloring to convey detail. Wiggins also creates ceramic sculptures, from frightening vampiric characters to a rotating cast of life-like city dwellers he calls “the crew.”
Occasionally, key portions of a figure or natural element are left unfinished, or isolated parts are collected together in a single piece; these techniques add visual playfulness to his style. “I like the feeling of making something in your head that doesn’t exist,” Wiggins says, “to make it real.”
