Jonathan Higgins:

Jonathan Higgins’s recent work focuses on metalpoint drawings on paper and panel, where his concerns with transformation are distilled with particular clarity. Using soft metals such as silver and copper to draw across prepared surfaces, Higgins creates images that hover between precision and ambiguity, diagram and landscape, mark and residue. The drawings often reward close viewing: faint shifts in tone, density, and reflectivity reveal layers of decision-making and the quiet drama of oxidation over time. In this way, the drawings are never entirely finished; they continue to evolve as the metal reacts to air and light.

Higgins’ expertise in metalpoint and his thoughtful exploration of process have been recognized beyond his studio practice. His work is included in the book Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing: A Complete Guide to the Medium by Schwalb and Mazzullo (Routledge, 2019), situating his practice within a broader contemporary and historical context for artists working with this demanding and historically rich drawing technique.

About Metalpoint

Metalpoint is a traditional drawing technique in which a thin wire of metal—commonly silver, but also gold, copper, or other alloys—is used as a stylus on a specially prepared surface. The paper or panel is coated with an abrasive ground so that the metal is deposited in fine particles as the artist draws, producing extremely precise but delicate lines that cannot be erased and encouraging careful, deliberate mark‑making. The technique was widely used in late medieval and Renaissance Europe by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Albrecht Dürer for detailed studies and preparatory drawings, prized for its finesse and permanence. Although it declined with the rise of graphite and more forgiving media, metalpoint has seen periodic revivals among modern and contemporary artists interested in its subtle tonal range and the way silver lines slowly tarnish from cool gray to warmer brown, giving drawings a distinctive, time‑infused presence.