HOLLY CARR
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AT THE GALLERIES Chronicle Hearld Halifax

10/30/2015

 
ELISSA BARNARD
Published October 29, 2015 - 5:05pm

Holly Carr
creates a magical storybook for adults in her new solo exhibit of silk paintings, I Can’t Sleep When I’m Dreaming, at Secord Gallery, 6301 Quinpool Rd., Halifax, on just through Saturday.

Carr’s playfulness, vitality and wonderful use of colour and pattern make this new work, as always, a joy. She explores both fanciful and sinister imagery that puts viewers inside a fairy tale of their own creation. Everywhere, nature is abundant in flowers, twisting vegetation, insects and birds — lots of birds.
There are ravens holding their blue eggs in their beaks; tea cups, each in a different nature-based pattern, at a bird tea party interrupted by an owl; and animals in portraits as spirit guides.
New for this always adventuring artist is the addition of music and light to Red Riding Hood, facilitated by Ian McKay, who defines himself as “creative technician & possibilitist.” The viewer turns the key, a wolf suddenly appears as a silhouette howling at the moon and each panel turns on and off with sound and light as Red Riding Hood makes her journey with a chorus of skeletons playing instruments.
Carr also includes motion-activated raven sounds with her giant hanging Raven Man painting on silk.
Much of her latest imagery has to do with birds and eggs. In Dreamer, though, a woman rides a whale above Halifax Harbour with the Town Clock in the distance.
“The narratives throughout this collection are inspired by my dreams, fears, desires, and a fanciful interest in the esoteric,” says Carr, in an artist’s statement.
“The colourful endless running reel in my brain can at times be all-consuming, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Carr, who lives in the Annapolis Valley, recently performed with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto and the Orchestre Symphonique de Laval. She is working on a book connected to her large installation A Light in the Forest, exhibited in the fall of 2013 at the Acadia University Art Gallery.
Also at Secord are four realist paintings by her husband, Alan Bateman, including a fire on the beach at Scotts Bay looking over to Cape Split and a non-Valley, Georgia O’Keeffe-style image of an animal skull on the wall next to a slightly open wooden door, all in the most subtle pale blues and greys.

"Nocturnes on Silk by the Sea"

10/23/2015

 
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Holly continues to dream up ideas and make them come true. The seed of this idea has been around for a long time.Earlier in 2015 the idea was pitched to the Waterfront Development Corporation of Halifax. With their amazing sponsorship the project started to move. What took only 6 hours to perform took hundreds of hours to plan. Buy the silk, rent the tent and a grand piano. Forms and regulations, insurance and security. Beautiful sights and sound only look easy. By the end of September, the floor plan and structure was figured out, Jennifer King was compiling and practicing a selection of nocturnes spanning 200 years of composers. Holly was still working on all the other aspects of the production.
   On the morning of October 17th setup on the Halifax Waterfront began. The tent arrived and went up then the inner structure was built and the silk walls were stretched in place by Holly. At 4pm the grand piano was gently put in place. The last step was for Holly to put down the drop sheets and set up her paints. 6pm and the start of Nocturne approached quickly; the sides of the tent were taken down, interior lights turned on; and the music and painting began. Holly paints free hand, no pre-drawing. The tent kept the art and piano dry during an hour or so of rain. Crowds grew and watched right through until midnight. A video of the event will be ready shortly after editing.

Taming the Wolf

10/13/2015

 
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​"Taming the Wolf" Come to Secord Gallery before Oct.31st. turn the key and see what happens? Imagining it is one thing but making it a reality could only happen with the help of Ian McKay and Alan Bateman This is one of the pieces in my new exhibit, "I Can't Sleep When I'm Dreaming" 

"I can't sleep when I'm dreaming"

10/9/2015

 
Holly has been spending the last 6 months working on the concept and implementation of this show. Amongst her framed work will be complex pieces that will incorporate micro-electronics. Lighting, sound and movement. It will be a fun opening night. Hope you can make it.
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  • home
  • Light in the Forest
  • Virtual World
  • Paintings
  • Contact
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  • About
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