Brent Holland (middle) Gov. Kim Reynolds & Former Gov. Terry Branstad in 2016
Brent Holland of Des Moines is a visual artist who integrates digital and traditional media applications into paintings and drawings. Using both figurative representation and formal abstraction, he transforms elements of his daily life into works that range in size and content from miniature hyperrealist portraits to wall-size collages. His work is a response to his fascination with the visual diversity of his surroundings – from the details of the human body to cluttered studio spaces, architectural drawings, and urban graffiti walls. His artwork is exhibited widely, held in public and private collections and represented by Olson-Larsen Galleries. Holland is currently an Associate Professor of Art and Visual Culture at Iowa State University.
Interview from October 20, 2016
Where are you from?
I grew up in Springfield, Missouri. After completing my BFA degree in Drawing at Missouri State University I moved to New York City and then to Seattle, where I received an MFA in Painting from the University of Washington. I accepted a teaching position at Iowa State University in 2005 and moved to Iowa.
Where do you currently live?
I live in the Waterbury neighborhood of Des Moines, IA.
Where do you make your work?
I have a studio at the Fitch Studio Building in downtown Des Moines. This studio has been my base of operations for the past eleven years. The studio is where I can experiment with ideas and materials. I also enjoy being surrounded by the other artists in the building. The open studios events are a good way to connect with people who are interested in my work.
What is your artistic medium of choice and why?
I make multi-dimensional paintings and drawings using digital and traditional media. Specifically, I print multiple digital drawings on plastics and assemble them into a single 2.5 dimensional artwork. Before they are assembled I paint and draw on each layer using traditional media such as acrylic paint to insert moments of spontaneity.
I’m fascinated with emerging technologies such as 3-D digital sculpting and printing. I have access to cutting edge technologies and I experiment with them as much as possible. I am, however, a painter and understand that a print on plastic does not have the same characteristics as a painting. The print is more mechanical, lacking the surface nuances so important for my paintings, for example. As a result I combine printmaking and painting to create multi-layered artworks. The possibilities are endless and this is exciting for me.
I’m fascinated with emerging technologies such as 3-D digital sculpting and printing. I have access to cutting edge technologies and I experiment with them as much as possible. I am, however, a painter and understand that a print on plastic does not have the same characteristics as a painting. The print is more mechanical, lacking the surface nuances so important for my paintings, for example. As a result I combine printmaking and painting to create multi-layered artworks. The possibilities are endless and this is exciting for me.
What themes does your work deal with?
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I have intentionally pivoted away from making artwork that deals with current political and social trends. I choose to focus on the process and psychology of observation and creation. Many artists consider themselves to be a filter through which their observations are recorded on the canvas. Artists such as Lucian Freud, Antonio Lopez Garcia and Alberto Giacometti worked to capture the world as they saw it. The contemporary painter Ann Gale says her work is a “diary of looking”.
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. In this way, I’m connected to the ancient tradition of drawing and painting that dates back over thirty thousand years to the cave paintings found in southern France. |
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What are you currently working on?
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My current project is being developed under the working title, “Poetics and Pragmatism”. The project is open-ended and allows both of my personalities, the artist and the engineer, to experiment freely with artistic styles and alternative materials. My imagery oscillates between realism and magical realism, representation and abstraction.
These ideas are being developed in several large and small experimental, multi-dimensional paintings and drawings. I’m working with digital drawing and sculpting, resins, Plexiglas, stickers and other media. I feel that I’m on the cusp of a major breakthrough moment with this work and I get the sense that the people around me feel the same about it. I’m using this momentum and applying for several major national awards to gain more national exposure. |
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What do you enjoy about being an artist in Iowa?
The cost of living in Iowa is reasonable. I can focus more on my work and less on day-to-day economic survival. I need stillness for reflection and contemplation and that is hard to find when running from one day-job to another just to pay the rent.
Iowans are fair-minded and supportive. The artistic climate seems to be changing in the state and especially in Des Moines. The arts scene is flourishing and I’m excited to be a part of it. The Iowa Arts Council’s Artist Fellowship Award is a good example of Iowa’s investment in the arts and culture in the state.
Iowans are fair-minded and supportive. The artistic climate seems to be changing in the state and especially in Des Moines. The arts scene is flourishing and I’m excited to be a part of it. The Iowa Arts Council’s Artist Fellowship Award is a good example of Iowa’s investment in the arts and culture in the state.
What is one thing you'd like to see change about the artistic field in Iowa?
Support for the arts in Iowa is increasing. However, more support is welcome. I feel the general public in Iowa holds the misperception that artists are simply hobbyists, tinkering and crafting in our spare time. This is untrue in my case and with many professional artists I know. I would like to see more opportunities for Iowa artists to make a reasonable living from the work they create through institutional and individual patronage throughout the state. There are a lot of artists who choose to live in the Midwest instead of on the coasts due to the cost of living and friendly community. I am one of them. Patrons can find excellent work by talented artists right here, right now.
https://iowaculture.gov/arts/blog/meet-artist-brent-holland