above: “Untitled I (white)”,2019. Metalpoint drawing in copper and silver on acrylic ground on panel. 30″ x 30″.
F or the past several years Jonathan Higgins has been working in metalpoint. This ancient method of drawing utilizes soft metals on a variety of supports. Certain prepared surfaces allow the metal to transfer to the ground, and a range of values can be achieved by repeated marks. Higgins uses basic geometrical forms and repetitive line work to create quiet, minimal abstractions, bringing a contemporary sensibility to this old master technique. This drawing pictured above was recently sold to a collector in San Francisco. Higgins is included in Silverpoint and Metalpoint Drawing: A Complete Guide to the Medium, the definitive book on the subject written by Schwalb and Mazzullo and published recently by Routledge.
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