Margaret Kilgallen’s art is influenced by both American and non-Western folk traditions. Her bold, graphic art is grounded in a keen observation of the urban landscape such as the contemporary Mexican-American commercial strip that one might find in San Francisco’s Mission District or the seashore towns of Northern California. It is also illustrative of commercial art found in India or Africa, where old, imported graphic conventions continue to predominate. Kilgallen’s work does not follow a conceived plan. Her work has almost always been done on-site, drawing large letters completely by hand using house paint rollers. Kilgallen’s art achieves human resourcefulness on many levels. Her use of discarded materials or donated paint resonates with her family’s history of making due with whatever resources they could to survive. Aside from her gallery work, Kilgallen has been involved in community based art collaborations. Kilgallen passed away tragically in 2001 from complications from cancer.
