Stark Charcoal Drawings by Leah Biggs


A charcoal drawing of a woman sitting in a chair, smoking and waiting for a phone to ringBusy, charcoal

 


Portfolio website of Leah Biggs' charcoal drawings.A gallery of Leah Biggs' charcoal drawings on her portfolio page

The artworks of Leah Biggs – particularly her stark charcoal drawings - echo the imagery of film noir of the 1940’s and 50’s. The drawings are in black and white and feature lone, faceless figures, placed near telephones.

 


An ink drawing of a rotary telephoneTelephone, ink

There is a palpable sense of unrest and loneliness in Leah’s drawings – the fact that the faces of her figures are always hidden, that they are usually smoking cigarettes or clutching telephone receivers, even the high-contrast, shadowy lighting of the scenes, all  lend to a heavy, moody tone. As a viewer, it’s really interesting to see how these formal aspects of the artwork have such a strong effect on the way the audience interprets them – and it’s always great to see works that elicit such a powerful emotional response.

 

Also available on Leah’s website are her ink drawings – these drawings are not quite as tightly realistic as her charcoal works, but are equally high-contrast and striking. Often using subject matter that might be linked more to themes of fashion, or consumerism – shoes, bags, etc. – Leah allows us to contemplate our own relationships to these objects.

 


A charcoal drawing of a woman in a cocktail dress holding a gun and a cigaretteDone, charcoal

Written by: Dallas Jeffs
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