“Survival” Acrylic on board, 2019
Curlee Raven Holton: Deluge — Rebirth, A Retrospective 1993-2021
June 19th through July 23rd, 2021.
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 19th, 2021, 4-7 PM
Artist Talk: June 19th, 5:30 PM
As an artist, I often question my role and function in society as well as the cultural significance of my creative practice. As a maker of artistic objects, paintings, drawing, and print work, I have come to realize that after an artist has developed a unique voice or visual articulation, they must have something to say; a song to sing.”[1]
Curlee Raven Holton
Artist /Master Printmaker Curlee Raven Holton’s creative practice affirms his raison d’etre. His understanding of what it means to be an agent of contemplation, spirit, intellect, and skill is clearly revealed in his imaginative work, and in his ability to articulate both content and subject matter to the viewer. As a seasoned professional and mentor, he has exhibited internationally for more than 35 years and engaged a wide range of creative aspirants. His expert skills as a painter and printmaker pair to introduce new ways of seeing for visual audiences.
Renowned for his mastery of screen-print, lithography, and etching, Holton is the originator of the Experimental Printmaking Institute (EPI) which launched in 1995 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Committed to the mission as a laboratory for the exploration of experimental printmaking, EPI has assisted the agency of many professional and emerging printmakers and became a destination for many artists working in non-print media.
The current exhibition Curlee Raven Holton: Deluge — Rebirth, A Retrospective 1993-2021 showcases a collection of paintings, drawings, mixed media, and prints created between 1993 and the present.
With survival as the central theme, recent works reflect the times of global upending threat. The broader message, however, is one of the tenacity of the human spirit in the face of peril. Holton tells his story with details that are both literal and metaphoric. The depiction of his characters informs the viewer of the psychic space that they occupy, and allude to either a past or future moment that frames this particular manifestation in time.
Often inspired by legendary literary minds, Holton created the Re-imagining Othello series in 2012, and interprets the complex and eternal messages contemplated by Shakespeare. From this project, three etchings are featured in the exhibition, Knowledge of Betrayal, To Be A Hero, Not A Pretender, and The Seduction. To Be A Hero, Not A Pretender reveals to the viewer the paradox of the “self” identified as “hero”.
As a selective retrospective, the exhibition offers a glimpse of Holton’s practice spanning almost 30 years. The range of his inspirations and predispositions is varied and yet consistent. It explores the human condition; its trials and our collective ability to meet the challenges of survival and prosperity are his stories. Many works are extremely personal, relative to close relationships and the prevailing circumstances during which they were created. His command for telling his story with visual eloquence and coherence is a testament to his life as an educator, advocate, and artist.
In the artist’s words, when questioned about how the Deulge series may differ from earlier projects, he says:
“I think it’s more mature. It’s more thoughtful. Less just pure creative expression. It comes from a place of my own personal maturity as a person...”[2]
Michelle Talibah, Curator
[1] “Curlee Holton: Deluge”, Michael D, Harris, Ph.D. July 2020
[2] (Holton, 2020)