Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Higgins.
Hi Steven, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Growing up in Rialto, a suburb east of LA, I was extremely fortunate to be able to develop my artistic abilities alongside some amazingly talented and individualistic people who lead me on the path to becoming an artist. My brother Michael Higgins, Carlos Arevalo, Tim Lynch, Kevin and Tony Martin, Brian Edwards, Sean Morano, Noah Arroyo, as well as many others, are all people that nurtured, inspired and ultimately lead me towards seeing a path towards taking my artistic development seriously. I will forever remain in debt to these people for their uniqueness, passion, and unrelenting force in forging their own ways. Immediately following high school, I was admitted to Art Center Collage of Design in Pasadena. I soon realized it was not in my best interest to finish the program and was told by the administrator of the painting department that I would be nothing without a degree from the school, which seemed a little bit rude to say the least. After this, I focused on creating new work and began exhibiting throughout southern California. In 2012, I started Blackstone Gallery in downtown LA, which was an artist run gallery space where I was able to curate 26 exhibits in a two year period. I had the honor of working with artists like John Kilduff (Mr. Let’s Paint), Alex Schafer, Patrick Donovan, Gary Ochoa, Skip Snow, Tim Lynch, as well as many others. After this experience, I refocused my attention to creating new bodies of work.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a very strange road. Any industry where success is defined by popularity is going to create really bizarre and unfortunate situations and the arts industry is definitely one of those industries. The qualities that give rise to mass appeal are usually not the qualities that I personally find most appealing. Finding balance and believing in my impulses regardless of the outcome has been difficult.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have focused my artistic development on oil painting. I often use other materials, but oils have remained my primary medium. Stylistically, I have embraced a polystylistic approach that allows for me to develop and explore a wide range of aesthetic vocabularies. I am personally interested in an eclectic understanding of art. To fulfill the inner needs that drive my artistic development, I have found it necessary to follow my impulses day by day, rather than having a cohesive plan for creating clear bodies of work. I do understand that people often find this approach to be self-contradicting, unfocused, schizophrenic and generally a sign of a lack of professionalism, but I wholeheartedly disagree with that assessment and I hope when I am dead, my oeuvre can be appreciated and understood for its overt diversity and eclecticism.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
This time has been tragic in more ways than I could communicate and the positive aspects feel frivolous in light of the fact that people are still dying as I write these words.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.saatchiart.com/stevenhiggins
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steventhomashiggins/
