It’s not much of a secret that we are big fans of Sal Higgens‘ work. Her visceral paintings and vivid palate have continually struck a chord with us. So, of course, we headed along to check out her most recent show Threshold at Leonard Mattis Studio last week.
The exhibition saw Higgens continue to explore the mythological themes that she had begun looking at in her 2012 show Katabasis. For a darker and more somber note, the colours in her paintings were more subdued. There was and a heavy emphasis on black and white through the features animation of the show “One Hundred Hell Hounds, 100 Blind drawings after Willem De Kooning” and the enormous charcoal work Portal.
Threshold was a great insight into Higgens’ evolution as an artist. It showed her determination not to become stuck in a particular method or style. Rather to continue to embrace influences and push herself and her practice.
The venue, Leonard Mattis Studio, was a nice surprise. We hadn’t had a chance to visit before. A hair studio by day, with white walls and mirrors, that transforms a few times a year into a beautiful gallery space. We’ll be keeping tabs on what’s to come.