I visited a designer showhouse where a very talented and fabulous friend, Jennifer McGee, was exhibiting (see a detail from her room below). After shamelessly running my hand over the outrageous, custom Greek key molding, I was drawn to the large abstract painting by a young artist that left me thinking… Who the fuck is this guy and why don’t you know anything about him?
Edward Holland is a local artist: he lives and works in New York City and is a staff member at NYU. I went to his studio to interview the [deliberate and disarmingly handsome] painter:
What artists are you most inspired by? There are certain artists that I continually return to for answers to problems, or to remind me to let something go: Manet, Johns, Mitchell, Matisse, Bruegel, Titian… I could keep going, but that would be boring. As far as more contemporary artists are concerned, I really admire Albert Oehlen, Michael St. John, Gordon Moore…
Do you find joy in completing a piece, or is there a certain part of your process that you enjoy most? I don’t know. For me, making a painting is a constant give and take. It is like a romantic relationship: you have moments of intensity and moments of despair, moments of compromise and selfishness; and when the relationship runs its course, you walk away unsure of your feelings. While that sounds really reductive, it is true for me. After a painting is finished, I may not know how I really feel about it until a couple of years later.
Are you superstitious in the studio? No. More OCD than superstitious. I like having my brushes in a certain place, my mediums in a certain place, and my cart in a certain place. It extends to the way that I stretch and prime a canvas, how I attach the hardware, and how I inscribe the back. I am a supreme creature of habit; so these rituals and placements have been honed over time.
I absolutely love Edward’s work. So much, in fact, that I added a piece to my personal collection (see below). Every time I stop to really appreciate it I see new things—it’s very rewarding—there’s so much depth in his work.
More about Edward Holland: he has a BFA from Syracuse University and an MA from NYU. He has had solo shows in New York and has been a part of many group exhibitions in NYC, Santa Fe, Cincinnati, Brooklyn, throughout the Hamptons, and Venice, Italy. He exhibits with the well-known Gerald Peters Galleries of NYC and Santa Fe
HE HAS UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AT: Gerald Peters Galleries in New York City this spring, NYU’s 80wse galleries (May 23-June 9), Peter Marcelle Contemporary in Bridgehampton this summer.
Photo credits: Lead portrait and studio shots by Meredith McBride Kipp, Jennifer McGee interior by Peter Rymwid, bottom Holland portrait by Sandra Locke.
Here is a sampling of a few of my favorite Edward Holland pieces. For inquiries about these and other works, you can contact Edward directly or call him at 917.584.6236
a painting for my nine year old self, acrylic, colored pencil, graphite and oil on canvas with collage, 36 x 36 inches
hunter’s twilight (after gifford), acrylic, colored pencil, graphite and oil on canvas with collage, 36 x 36 inches
interior VI, acrylic, colored pencil and graphite on paper with collage, 14 x 11 inches
please please me, acrylic, colored pencil, graphite and oil on canvas with collage, 48 x 64 inches
This one is HUGE and soooo amazing!! I absolutely LOVE this piece and wish I had a wall large enough… one day…
the doomsday lollipop: 2007, acrylic, colored pencil, graphite and oil on paper with collage, 48 x 84″
What do you love about Williamsburg? This neighborhood has everything a young artist wants; inexpensive and eclectic restaurants, interesting nightlife and music, and great parks. It is close enough to get to Manhattan, but far enough away.
