Damon Wiggins

I make 3D, abstract-weave paintings that use light and color to communicate comfort. When I was a child, a family friend owned a fluorescent poster, which also glowed in the dark. Magic! I can’t tell you how many times I requested a recharge with the black light. The subject of the poster seemed secondary to what the work did. This was my first memory of the transformative possibilities of art. Sometime later, I was able to get my own poster and black light. Alone in my room, all the outside noise dissipated as I retreated into an almost meditative state. As a frugal art teacher, I loathe wasted materials. Glue, paint, and glitter are thrown out on a regular basis. To curtail waste, I experimented with a variety of techniques to find an artistic use. This led to a series of pour paintings where the drippings gathered in a pan: a cake was born. I sliced it into strips revealing the layers. After a series of experiments, I chose to weave the strips into a basic pattern. I now make my pieces with intent and purpose. I choose my colors from a variety of sources that have some meaning to me, whether serious or absurd. Glitter, glow-in-the-dark inks, and fluorescent pigments affect how the work is seen. I use the universally recognized weave allowing the works to be viewed from any angle. This has the added benefit of removing any cultural proclivity. When showing my work, I hear a wide array of comparisons, "That looks like candy," "It reminds me of cushions," "Is that a blanket?" Allusions to comforting items abound. Ultimately, I want my work to imbue the viewer with a sense of solace and to have a similar reaction as I did in my youth.