ANDREA HIGGINS
Fabrics are a fundamental aspect of the aesthetics of all societies. Several years ago I began to make paintings representing familiar textile patterns. My paintings are optical, abstract compositions and at the same time refer to the associations the individual viewer has to the particular fabric.
Initially I painted a number of swatches in glen-plaids and herring-bones worn by my grandmother, thinking of these abstractions as portraits that represented her style or "look." For me, these fabrics inspired more memories of her than any photograph. In this way, I became interested in the concept of representing a person through the representation of a textile.
Next I worked on a series of paintings based on the wardrobes of wives of American Presidents. A First Lady's style (or lack thereof) attracts public attention. But the clothes these women wear also reflect the social climate and political priorities of the administration of which she is a part.
For example, Jacqueline Kennedy utilized her wardrobe to craft an image of glamour and elegance for her husband's administration. She recognized the power of the new medium of television and realized that solid colors photograph better than prints. She consciously selected her clothes to enhance her image when photographed, solidifying the image of the "Camelot" era of the Kennedy White House.
Nancy Reagan was determined to return a sense of style and formality to the presidency, which she believed had been neglected during the Carter administration. Commentators saw her expensive and flamboyant clothes as a reflection of the ebullient 1980's "Trickle-down Economics."
My current series of portraits is based on characters from novels. Unlike the clothes worn by my grandmother or a particular First Lady, a character in a novel is composed of language and only becomes concrete in the mind of the reader. My interpretation of the characters and their style adds an additional layer of abstraction to what is already an abstracted portrayal.
In addition to representing the costume of a character, I am interested in representing the decorative objects that surround and define the world in which the characters exist. For me, these objects are like the still-life elements in a traditional portrait. They speak to the character of the person I am portraying by representing his or her taste, and the social position he/she occupies or aspires to.
Andrea Higgins
Initially I painted a number of swatches in glen-plaids and herring-bones worn by my grandmother, thinking of these abstractions as portraits that represented her style or "look." For me, these fabrics inspired more memories of her than any photograph. In this way, I became interested in the concept of representing a person through the representation of a textile.
Next I worked on a series of paintings based on the wardrobes of wives of American Presidents. A First Lady's style (or lack thereof) attracts public attention. But the clothes these women wear also reflect the social climate and political priorities of the administration of which she is a part.
For example, Jacqueline Kennedy utilized her wardrobe to craft an image of glamour and elegance for her husband's administration. She recognized the power of the new medium of television and realized that solid colors photograph better than prints. She consciously selected her clothes to enhance her image when photographed, solidifying the image of the "Camelot" era of the Kennedy White House.
Nancy Reagan was determined to return a sense of style and formality to the presidency, which she believed had been neglected during the Carter administration. Commentators saw her expensive and flamboyant clothes as a reflection of the ebullient 1980's "Trickle-down Economics."
My current series of portraits is based on characters from novels. Unlike the clothes worn by my grandmother or a particular First Lady, a character in a novel is composed of language and only becomes concrete in the mind of the reader. My interpretation of the characters and their style adds an additional layer of abstraction to what is already an abstracted portrayal.
In addition to representing the costume of a character, I am interested in representing the decorative objects that surround and define the world in which the characters exist. For me, these objects are like the still-life elements in a traditional portrait. They speak to the character of the person I am portraying by representing his or her taste, and the social position he/she occupies or aspires to.
Andrea Higgins
Babbitt, 2004
Nancy, 2002
Jackie (Dallas), 2002
Dorian , 2008