Lindsay Radford Wiggins
Earlier this summer, Jasper transitioned its Tiny Gallery series online as an opportunity for artists to share their work during uncertain times and for members of the community to find a connection in the stories those artists tell.
This month we are featuring the spirited multimedia artist, Lindsay Radford Wiggins, with her oil painting show, Fragments.
Wiggins grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, and proclaims that art was part of her life since she was “old enough to hold a crayon”. Beyond an early passion for creating, Wiggins studied art at the Booker T. Washington Magnet Art School. In their photography program she learned a variety of techniques, including processing and developing film.
“I had a really good photography teacher, Andy Meadows, who basically gave us what was equivalent to a college photography program,” Wiggins shares, “Being in that program and school surrounded by so many artist friends really shaped me as an artist through my teenage years.”
Wiggins recalls working in all the local darkrooms in Montgomery during her high school years to make extra money. “Art was an escape for me even at an early age,” she recalls, “I always carried a sketchbook everywhere.”
Lindsay Radford Wiggins - Birthday
Wiggins moved to Columbia, SC when she was 18 to work in the same Dermatopathology lab where her grandmother once worked and got certified as a Histotechnologist, a field she still works in today. Several years after the initial move, she attended Columbia College, where she studied painting & drawing under Stephen Nevitt and Mary Gilkerson.
“Not only was I able sharpen my skills in drawing and painting at Columbia College, but I feel it opened the door to the local art community,” Wiggins reflects, “I then became immersed with local artists, and it was amazing to be surrounded by so many amazing creative minds again.”
In was in college that Wiggins found the artists and themes that would end up being of great importance to her. “I had an art history teacher named Dr. Ute [Wachsmann-Linnan], and she really introduced me to German Expressionism, and I think that is a major influence in my paintings,” she reveals, “Women surrealists like Frida Khalo, Dorthea Tanning, and Leonora Carrington are also influencing.”
Lindsay Radford Wiggins - Aspirations
Reflecting on her work now, Wiggins shares that it is “very narrative with lots of layers”; she continues, “symbols from nature, animals, family and my personal struggles are recurring themes. I feel like every piece of art I create is like a diary entry.”
In this show, Wiggins is focused on the female perspective and healing from her own struggles. “Nevitt used to say in art class that displaying your art is like running down the road in public completely naked and I do feel that way,” she expresses, “I think all artwork in some sense is a self-portrait.” It is her hope to use her vulnerability to create work that is positive and inspires others.
Fragments features 22 pieces, all of which are a self-reflection of some sort, and often feature the artist and her dog, Ziggy. In these 4x4 oil paintings, you may find a girl enjoying tea as her hair twists in lively coils around her, reflections and ruminations of the female body in vivid color, or women who reclaim their presence with affirmations of “I am enough.”
Lindsay Radford Wiggins - Overcoming Insecurities
Wiggins has been showing in Columbia for years and has had the privilege to experiment with a plethora of mediums and genres and collaborate with other local artists. Reflecting back onto her journey, she says the several shows she did with Anastasia Chernoff stand out in her mind.
“One of the memories I cherish is when I co-hosted a surrealism show with her several years ago, and I am so grateful to have been part of those experiences,” she recalls, “I miss showing art through different venues on First Thursdays and the inspiration you get through other artists.”
These days, with all going on in the world, it can be hard for artists to find that inspiration. Wiggins says she tries to focus on the positive. “I think the world has been given a chance to slow down in some ways and refocus & reflect on the things that are more important,” she illuminates, “I think human interaction is more meaningful when we have been isolated.”
It’s hard to know what the future holds, but Wiggins says she plans to continue exploring themes in this body of work. “I think for artists creating art is like breathing,” she intimates, “art is the physical manifestation of what is inside of us.”
Lindsay Radford Wiggins - Be Brave
Artist or not, Wiggins believes within us all is the ability to love and better the spaces around us. “I think the only way you can really change the world is to change your own heart and through the interactions and relationships we have on a day to day basis,” she expresses, “We are all human and having struggles and need more compassion and less judgement.”
When it comes to Fragments, Wiggins wants to embody that very compassion. The artist plans to donate her portion of the proceeds from sold works to SisterCare, a local shelter that helps women & families dealing with domestic violence.
“This is what my heart felt moved to do,” she shares, “and I feel during the COVID-19 pandemic, they could use the help more than ever with so many people being homebound.”
Wiggins’ show will be up until October 4th on the Jasper Website. You can support Wiggins’ purpose, spread compassion, find a reflection of yourself, and take home a new beautiful work of art 24/7 at the following link: https://the-jasper-project.square.site/tiny-gallery
The purpose of the Tiny Gallery Series is to allow artists an opportunity to show a selection of their smaller pieces of art offered at affordable price points attractive to beginning collectors and arts patrons with smaller budgets. If you are interested in showing at Tiny Gallery, please email Christina Xan at jasperprojectcolumbia@gmail.com