Kim Wiggins SWA Oct/Nov 2024
“I BELIEVE THAT the artist is the soul of a society, and that means my job is to reach the next generation,” says Kim Wiggins, who is a leading exponent of the New West movement that seeks to engage younger audiences through fresh modes of visual expression. “I don’t believe we’re going to reach them using the same methods and voice they’ve seen in the past. I want to create something that makes them stop and look and take it in.”
The son of celebrated photojournalist Walt Wiggins, the painter grew up meeting artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Henrietta Wyeth through his parents. His wildlife sculptures sold in Scottsdale during his teenage years, and after switching to oils during a military stint in Europe, he became the youngest-ever member of the Society of American Impressionists. A quest to find his own voice in the 1980s led Wiggins back to his roots, which include exposure to Hispanic and Native American art. The result was a distinctive blend of swirling shapes, bold colors and symbolic meaning that has landed his work in museums across the U.S.