Why do people keep looking at things that disturb them? They follow unsettling stories, return to painful memories and sometimes recognise impulses they would rather leave unspoken. For British artist David Higginson, that uneasy fascination is fertile ground for semi-abstract art.
Based in Accrington, Lancashire, Higginson explores the human psyche through paintings and digital creations. His work is particularly concerned with hidden desires, uncertain memories and the contradictions between what people feel and what they reveal. These interests give his art a recognisable purpose: to make difficult aspects of human experience available for reflection.
Where Recognition Gives Way to Uncertainty
Semi-abstract art offers a distinctive way to approach an emotionally complex subject. Recognisable elements can remain within an image, while changes in form, colour and composition leave room for associations that a literal illustration might settle too quickly. The viewer recognises a starting point without receiving a complete explanation.
That openness connects directly with Higginson’s interest in the private self. A person can appear composed while feeling threatened, seek attention while fearing exposure, or experience affection and resentment towards the same person. These tensions often resist the neat labels used in everyday conversation.
That tension is visible in the work itself. One gallery image places four dark, elongated forms against a turbulent field of teal, pink and burning gold; another centres a glowing figure surrounded by flame-like shapes. Higginson’s stated ambition is to prompt thought and discussion, giving viewers a starting point without prescribing a single response.
The Feelings People Learn to Conceal
Higginson uses the phrase ‘inner demons’ in his artist statement to describe hidden emotions and desires that may emerge under particular circumstances. He is interested in their attractive and repelling qualities, and in how people respond when an uncomfortable feeling becomes difficult to ignore. His subject is therefore as much about human contradiction as it is about darkness.
