“Modern Frontier”, Nature Works 2022
In this new work, I tap into what’s behind the curtain of reality, what we normally see in front of us.. The basic, most fundamental nature of art is line. From it comes a drawing, a shape, a composition, dimension and texture, and, the best of all, a story. In these paintings, lines become shapes like puzzle pieces and it’s how I put them together that creates the story. This fascinates me because it delves into abstraction but doesn’t stray entirely from reality. Also, I am interested in what is essential; not everything is important or needs attention.
Many of these new paintings are inspired by the beautiful Tall Grass Prairie in northern OK. I was given the opportunity to visit and stay in the “bunk house” and paint a commission of the area for the great (and late) Ken Greenwood who introduced me to the prairie in 2012. Ever since, I have been drawn to it’s expansive landscape. Debuting in this show are some of the majestic creatures that roam it’s grounds.
Matthew Higginbotham
