To pretend to be a connoisseur of great art would be a folly on my part, because one university art history survey course does not a connoisseur make! That said, some art, whether internationally revered and accredited and lauded by the most elite of circles, as is precisely the case in this instance, just speaks to you.
Somehow, the pleasingly organized lines and shapes and bright, happy, candy-like hues reminiscent of idyllic childhood, ingeniously incorporated by Spector into paintings and sculptures, make their way into your soul. They dazzle with colour and innovation, providing a much-needed mini break from the stress of life and inspiring a smile and exhale no matter how challenging the day.
Officially called “geometric minimalism” by Spector, what makes her creations even more compelling is the distinctive manner in which she produces them.
Heavily inspired by the minimalist mastery of great artists of the sixties and seventies, including Frank Stella, Sol Lewitt, Barnett Newman, Bridgit Riley, Gene Davis, Yves Klein, Agnes Martin, Kenneth Noland, Guido Molinari, Donald Judd, and Jack Bush, it’s music that also assumes a pivotal role in her creative process.
In Spector’s own words, she expresses with palpable passion how transformative and inspirational a diverse playlist of beats and tunes is to her artistry. Even cooler: she sees the colour palette of each painting or sculpture as a response to the musical environment it was birthed in—a playlist come to life, if you will.
Also incredibly striking with respect to Spector is her vulnerability to admit the realization that despite a fierce devotion to minimalism in both motivation and form, meticulously using acrylic paint with resin on birch panels, cubes, prisms, columns, and rhombuses, as well as the usage of polished mirrored stainless steel to produce the minimalist masterpieces, there is still an undeniable emotional perspective vibrating at the core of each creation, informing them with her own upbeat and hopeful zeitgeist, a message we as experiencers of her art can’t help but consume. We feel her love, light, and optimism, as if she were before us and communicating the message directly.
Given all of the above, not lost on even a novice collector like yours truly, it’s no wonder that the gifted creator we’re so lucky to call a fellow Montrealer has received so much international acclaim and status.
Not only has Spector’s work been the subject of numerous solo and group shows across the globe, including exhibitions in Montreal, Toronto, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, and New York, but many of her works comprise part of important corporate, private, and museum collections worldwide. She is also the subject of countless interviews for some of the most prestigious media platforms around, and most recently, Bishops University granted her an honorary doctorate of Civil Law, honoris causa, for her contributions of joy to society through her art.
I don’t know about you, but to be recognized as a communicator of joy through art in a disconnected world like ours says a lot about one’s ability to connect. Bravo.
For more on this outstanding creative, visit heidispector.com/@heidispector and see her works at Galerie de Bellefeuille in Montreal and Toronto (debellefeuille.com), Spanierman Modern in New York (spaniermanmodern.com), SH Modern Art in Fort Myers (shmodernart.com), and online at 1stdibs, Artsy, and Artnet.
Art Photography COURTESY OF HEIDI SPECTOR & TEAM, Profile JOHN KENNEY