Heidi Spector

Spanierman Modern is pleased to announce its first solo exhibition of Heidi Spector’s joy-filled “geometrically minimalist” works. 

Heidi Spector’s works succeed the lineage of Minimalism, the movement that sought to move away from representation in response to the introduction of photography in the twentieth century. Photography’s ability to capture an image as fact instead of painterly representation caused a crisis in painting, leading artists to reject the idea of art as an imitation of that which already exists and instead view it as an object that contains its own reality. Artists that participated in the movement looked to deconstruct art into its base elements of line, color, and shape in order to re-present it as a more truthful and simplified version of itself. The prioritization of the inherent qualities of art transformed art from a representation of the outside world into an object that exists in the physical world; the same world in which the viewer exists. This concept invites the viewer to consider the spatial relationship between themself and the object, thus making them an active participant in the physicality of the work as opposed to a passive bystander. 

Spector’s pieces maintain the philosophies of the Minimalist movement through the focus on the essential elements that make up a composition such as line, repetition, color, and reflection. However, the inclusion of bold, bright, and lively colors is a drastic departure from the pillars of the movement. Spector refers to her canon of work as “Geometric Minimalism.” The paintings and sculptures are composed of candy-colored acrylic paint poured over Russian birch and coated with resin. The work is completed with a blowtorch to create the reflective, glassy surface. Spector is inspired by popular music: each work’s color palette creates a sense of vibration and can be seen as a response to the song from which she derives the piece’s title. Thus, her canon can be analyzed as an audio-visual playlist of her career. The works in When the Sun Comes Shining Through were inspired by a variety of artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Cash, Led Zeppelin, and Calvin Harris. 

The influence of hard-edge painters such as Frank Stella can be seen in the precise lines, geometric opticality, and slick surfaces of the compositions. As the artist states, “Frank Stella’s iconic statement, ‘What You See Is What You See,’... inspired me to distance myself from painting emotionally. I simply wanted to put paint, color, resin, steel, and lines onto birch without any emotional context.” Although Spector avoids the explicit inclusion of emotional content within her works, there is an undeniable energy to which the viewer can connect. The lively colors pulse and vibrate together, infecting the viewer with an upbeat mood akin to that felt while dancing at a nightclub. The reflective surface invites the viewers' participation both literally and conceptually by their reflection on the work.

Heidi Spector was awarded an honorary doctorate of Civil Law, honoris causa, by Bishop’s University in 2023. Spector’s work has been the subject of numerous solo and group shows including exhibitions in Montreal, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and New York. Her work is included in corporate, private, and museum collections worldwide. She currently lives and works in Montreal, Canada.