Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Henderson
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Growing up, I was always intrigued by creativity but never found myself artistically inclined. After learning about graphic design- I decided that would be the path for myself in college. Throughout my time at school, I began to dive deeper into processes and meanings, with less concern about perfecting technique. With this, I fell in love with process of creation.
Upon graduating, I found myself without 24 hour access to a fully stocked studio like I had in undergrad. I wound up finding a wonderful vintage bookstore that regularly had bins of free books. I started then, working with vintage imagery and focusing on collage work. I always felt like I had a nagging need to share a message, and text slowly starting making itself more prominent within my work.
The art I create reflects my own personal life with triumphs and failures, elation and devastation. I combine old photographs and illustrations from forgotten books with words written out on my late grandmother’s typewriter. Although the experiences are my own, I think that in using materials that once belonged to someone else emphasizes the connectivity humans face simply by existing.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I decided to go to graduate school and pursue an MBA. During this time, I was searching for myself and questioning a lot of my identity as a creative. How could arts and accounting both be holding space within my life? I wound up taking a two year break from regularly creating art. During this time, I was focused on school and engaging with the environment I was in as much as I could. I truly wondered if I would return to art making. However, the nagging feeling of a message to share came up again, and I began taking ceramics classes at a local non-profit. Recently, I found myself drawn back to what I know best: collage and writing. Although the path hasn’t been inherently smooth, I am grateful for the road bumps along the way and having the space to take the pause that I needed, so I could create art I like and enjoy the process again.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Although the visuals of my work has changed throughout my journey, there are central themes that stay the same.
Do you remember the feeling of riding your bike through your hometown on a hot summer night? Maybe a tight knot in your stomach feeling like there’s something more? I use vintage and outdated imagery akin to true Americana in homage to my midwestern roots and nuclear family style upbringing. Although the experience I write about are at times vague, they are also incredibly personal while still having a sense of universality.
I don’t necessarily have a piece of work I am the most proud of- but in the moments where people stop me to let me know that something I have created has made them feel, there’s an indescribable joy. To understand the human condition is nearly impossible, yet, within cracking away small chips of the shell, we find shared experiences and emotions that can sometimes be isolating.
I believe that what makes my work different is that it isn’t created within a vacuum. I don’t create solely collage, nor solely writing. They exist within each other and are constantly evolving as I grow and age. Although I greatly admire artists who, say, only paint bowls of fruit- that isn’t what speaks to me. The variety that I’ve kept while maintaining a sense of cohesion is something I hope people are able to see within my work.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t think I’d give luck much credit here- often times my best work is created in times of self-doubt, heartbreak, or uncertainty. Within strong emotions, strong art comes out. However, I think it is impossible to deny the privilege that I have had as a white woman from a middle class family. I had the time and space to create and experiment, and that’s something I am so grateful to have had. During the pandemic lockdowns, I spent all of my time in my parent’s basement making art. This time let me explore and alter my style and messaging. The time, space, and security are all things that not everyone is able to have access to, and I feel incredibly blessed to have experienced it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hollyhendersonmakesart
