When I first encountered the work of Christian Holstad (b. 1972), I was struck by the works' formal and graphic success, and only discovered the importance of specific materials and underlying meanings after perusing these articles.
Holstad is a Brooklyn based artist who explores issues of sensual tension through disparate formal elements within individual works.
This particular piece, Cacoon (2007), consists of a vintage aluminum lawnchair, paint, 2(x)ist underwear elastic, vintage mohair sweater, xerox transfers, wool felt, vintage exercise boots, and sand.
Works like Cacoon, which purport to "question our ability to fathom our own feelings" function as multilayered vessels of meaning.
"For the viewer to become suddenly unsure of an image's 'obvious' intent is key to Holstad's method." --Steve Lafreniere, Artforum January 2003
I'm wearing an Undrest knit maillot, vintage aloha shirt, vintage Ray-Ban aviators, and Lovely People leather sandals.
The winner of the Picasso Scarf Giveaway is Hivenn!
Congratulations & thank you to everyone who commented!
[Holstad mages from saatchi-gallery.co.uk.]
