Bryan Holland

A university professor for a number of years, Bryan gave up his academic career in favor of a full-time devotion to the creation of fine art about five years ago, and boy are we glad he did!  His work, which has been featured in a number of solo exhibitions in art galleries across the region, marries his incredible skill as a realist painter with his passion for graphic design.  You will find a wide cross-section of his work represented here. 

Bryan Holland, in his own words: 

For me, art is a process of searching, becoming, and finding connections and inter-relationships between things. In this process, I often have more ideas than time to see them through. As such, my work often changes direction from time to time. There are, however, underlying currents that have been flowing through the works over the last 15 years or so.

One of those undercurrents is the use of realism with abstraction or  graphic elements such as pattern, text, etc. When used in combination, they create a kind of tension between the illusion of realism and the reality of the flat picture plane. Similarly, the use of contrasts in my work is often seen in many ways: contrast of color, size or shape, or contrast between man and nature, permanent and impermanent, depth and flatness. Another undercurrent is the use of building up images with multiple layers. The use of metaphors and symbols is also part of my work.  The language of painting is very much like poetry or mythology, rich in symbols, associations and emotions. Images that I use represent a myriad of thoughts, ideas or personal experiences.

Finally, the process itself is very important. Each work is started with little or no idea about what the finished piece will look like. Beginning with some sort of suggestion, such as color, pattern or collaged material or other marks, I allow these to inform me as to where the painting needs to go. Having a finished piece is not my goal in starting a painting.  Rather, it is the growth, self-awareness and discovery that come from the process of making art.