Artist Statement NEW WORKS EXHIBITION

Brent Holland, Artist
Using representation and abstraction, my paintings and drawings are multilayered meditations upon time, space and my sphere of existence.

Work A) I combine digital drawings, each printed on a separate sheet of clear plastic that when stacked together create a single 2.5-dimensional image. Under the surface, I layer thousands of lines and shapes.  I draw lines by hand to add moments of spontaneity.  All of this translates the complex spatial relationships between people, places and things familiar to me.

Work B) I render hi-definition images with an innovative new painting technique fit for the technological digital era.  The result is abstract forms that are more organic than geometric, more curvy than linear.  Their personalities flow from the shapes.

Conceptually, my work relies heavily on the evolution of the image through my mark‐making process. One concept that weighs into my work is the German idea of Gestalt - the concept for how the mind uses perception to form a global-whole with self‐organizing tendencies.

Because I draw and paint primarily from observation, my work is the accumulation of thousands of moments of looking with layers of multiple visual insights. Forms in cavernous studio spaces and on walls come into sharp focus and dissolve into ethereal impressions. The final product serves as a physical record of my visual experience and organization.

My most exciting times in my Des Moines studio come when I discover how to make a new mark or surface effect.  I am a scientist, always tinkering and experimenting with unique ways to push my medium.  When I find new ways to use materials, as I have today, I feel I’m adding to a conversation that began thousands of years ago.               

Read press release Oct 7

I would like to thank my sponsors and patrons for their generous support of my work.