Derek Rigby

Derek Rigby

Blog URL: http://artistsofutah.org/15Bytes/index.php/derek-rigby/

   Ogden, UT

Born and reared in Northern Utah, Derek Rigby is a recent recipient of a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. A color blind painter and sculptor, he maintains a studio in a barn formerly used for rabbit farming. Rigby enjoys small boat sailing, beekeeping, and splitting firewood for his studio. He currently resides in Ogden with his wife and their two children.

Artist Statement
With references to modernism and Utah history, particularly the strong role of Mormonism, this work explores notions of perfection, ontology, and culture created from a dominant religion in a geographical area. Utilizing materials such as beeswax, beehive structures, and human hair, the role of the individual in larger contexts is explored. The teachings and iconography from Mormon culture are contrasted and paralleled with the ideals of modernism, ultimately investigating how culture is influenced by people and their traditions.