Artist Interview: Tom Wiggins

What is your work about?
Possible making statements to get someone’s attention, either for myself or for a given cause.

How did you get into this work?
I’m not sure, but I was probably trying to prov that I was hip by being a wise ass, nd suddenly finding self-satisfaction in someone else’s appreciation.

What are your favorite things about your work?
When someone else gets it.

How do you feel when your work is going well?
In those moments of unforced inspiration, when it just seems to flow, for just that little bit, being outside of myself.

What is your favorite tool and material? Why?
My favorite tool is one that is accessible. My guitar cannot be buried under the Christmas decorations in closet, and pencils and good paper have to be at hand. Because hose moments of unforced inspiration may be as big as elephants and as fragile as butterflies flitting about on a skeet shoot over a mine field.
Political satire makes for good material, or my own sexual hang-ups, hence the immediacy.

What patterns emerge in your work?
In reference to the previous answer, probably a lot of ideological fantasy.

What do you do differently from the way you were taught? Why?
I honestly don’t know, but if/when someone corrects me, or tells me I can’t do something, it seems I pretty much take it as a dare. I joined the Navy to try to learn some discipline, among other things, and some ties I think I did, but as I age, I believe I’m losing my edge, because I know I’m terrible at time management. So, maybe I end to throw out a few dares of my own from time-to-time, because as arrogantly bullheaded, as I know I must appear at times, I really do look forward to learning new things.

What does your work remind you of?
Wish fulfillment and the lack thereof.

How do you begin a piece, what is your process?
This goes back to my time management/discipline problem. If one of those elephantine butterflies makes it across the mine field, and the accessibility presents itself, I could be having a moment of near smug self-satisfaction, or, someone will commission me to do a piece. Wherein I will struggle, yet persevere and be disappointed with the product, while people tell me how good it is.

What would you like people to see or experience in your work?
My tortured soul is the bleeding jewel in my lemon thorn hat. If I could just get it to stop screaming long enough to compse a nice still life. If anything that I do is capable of giving someone pause for ten seconds, I’ve done my job.

Who are your favorite artists/influences? Who are your peers?
Salvador Dali, Robert Williams, R. Crumb, Titian, Vargas, Gilbert Shelton, Ruebens, Dave Mann, Ed Roth.
My peers? My lawnmower, my skilsaw, my hammer, my lawn sprinkler, I don’t get out much any more. Karen, if she’d have me.

What’s the worst experience you’ve ever had as an artist and how did you handle it?
The first time I sold a piece, and I had done it specifically to sell at a charity auction, maybe I ever did.

What’s the best experience?
It’s the twenty third of June, it’s about 9:30 in the Midwestern evening, the sun’s just set, and the full moon is rising fast. The warm, humid air is so heavy and sweet with new mown hay, lilacs, growing corn, and snowball bush, it makes you drunk to breath. Blasting down a freshly paved two lane blacktop, on a well-tuned bike at seventy miles an hour with someone you know, like, and trust behind you.
Or
It hasn’t happened yet.

What resources do you find help you most in your work?
Like most artists, I think, I’ve done my share, (probably more than) of reality twisting substances, be it drink, be it drug, be it romance. And every one of those moments sprouts a branch on the imagination tre, and if you can stay in touch with that membory, keep the daily distractions in perspective, and not be lonely when you’re alone
?

What advice/suggestions do you have for new and emerging artists?
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Don’t think too much.

Do you have an artist statement, website, promotional materials, etc?
As for a statement; no guts, no glory. I guess I am my promotional material and as yet, I have no website.
If any of these statements sound like something you’ve heard before, it’s entirely possible, I’ve been told I have good retention.