Joseph Riggs

My artwork takes a contemporary look at the American West, using some of the principles of the Impressionists and Post impressionists. It is Southwest Modernism. My journey as an artist has taken a multitude of paths. After 40 years as a criminal defense attorney in NM, I began a new life and a new career as an artist. My new paintings begin to focus on what I loved most about NM and the Southwest. The sky has always fascinated me, both the daytime sky and the nighttime sky with its millions of stars. Most recently, my spiritual influences have led me deeper into abstraction. Focusing on the line, the color, the shape, the overall impression and the ultimate image has pushed me toward complete abstraction. No longer do I try to copy or paint an object. I don’t want to make a picture of something. Color is no longer just for coloring. Color becomes part of the form itself. Line is no longer the guide to painting a shape. Line becomes part of the form itself. Color and line create the shape and dimension. I want the painting to be defined by the viewer’s imagination. I want the viewer to find his/her imagination in my form, color and shape. I hope that you enjoy joining me on this adventure.