Breathing Room

Breathing Room represents a departure from Linda Holloway's characteristic compositions to present works that are quiet, still, and introspective. Awe-inspiring in their dramatic scale – with the largest pieces three metres high – Holloway’s new works impart a minimalism that offers space for contemplation and thought. Where previously suggestions of landscape have served as a metaphor for the human mind, Breathing Room shifts to the interior with architectural structures creating the framework for the artist’s ongoing concerns: the origins of thought, societal relationships and the accumulation of cultural associations.

Executed in soft metallic washes, each painting has its own distinct light effect, which is highly responsive to shifting natural light. The glowing tones of silver, copper, or gold contribute to the work's reverential atmosphere and the Baroque richness suggested in the Classical architectural forms.

Holloway’s interiors are exaggerated cathedral-like edifices, which dramatically dwarf the tiny figures that inhabit each. The viewer is reminded of the chilling awe that such spaces can generate: wonder in humanity’s might – having creating such beauty – tempered with trepidation at one’s own relative insignificance.

Linda Holloway's paintings evolve through intuition, consideration and contemplation during the long process of their making. Through her painting practice, she attempts to get past the subjective nature of thought processes, emotions and memories to find a visual lexicon that communicates commonalities concerning the exploration and development of ideas.