Nature’s
magnificence is splashed gloriously over Hillary Riggs’ compelling
furniture. Riggs’ carved furniture revels in the smiles of
hollyhocks, the swagger of sunflowers, the whisper of daturas
of the New Mexico landscape, presenting a wondrous bouquet of
wood and paint. Hillary’s furniture respects the long tradition
of carved furniture in New Mexico, but introduces a clean break
with the ancient Spanish Colonial iconography.
The
breadth of Hillary Riggs’ quimeras, or inspirations, transcends
her Mexican and Rio Grande homelands. A superb carved screen,
Waterbirds, recalls 17th century Japanese art. African Zebras
and patterns animate some of Hillary’s works, and Anasazi
potsherds dance around a datura composition.
It
is more appropriate to describe Hillary Riggs as a true furniture
artist than craftsman since her magnificent carved and painted
works are intended to be one-of-a-kind pieces. Riggs describes
her approach as “renaissance” in spirit, since her creations
are the result of studio collaborations.
Excerpt
from: Elmo Baca, New Mexico Magazine, May 1998, Designing
Women |
