The Athens Cultural Center presents James Holl, Particle Point Collisions, an exhibition of recent paintings and sculpture, accompanied by the book launch of James Holl, The Landscape Painter 1972–2023.
James Holl’s new publication, The Landscape Painter 1972–2023, chronicles the journey of a young artist from the era of modernism through the rise of postmodernism to the present. The artistic paths taken address the contrasting art theories and cultural shifts that influenced both the artist and New York City during these dynamic times. Arriving at the present, Holl distills landscapes to be of matter emerging from energy, which is the subject of this exhibition.
The Particle Point Collision paintings delve into the quantum scale of landscapes, capturing the traces and showers of light resulting from particle collisions in a particle collider. Rather than breaking particles into smaller pieces, these collisions lead to a transformation of particles and the emission of electromagnetic light. The paintings capture these particle showers as traces, representing their path through time. The elemental points of energy, too small to be seen, are depicted through composition and color that vibrates visually, akin to how music resonates in the ear.
The sculptures in the series From Energy Matter Emerges represent the emergence of matter at the Planck length, the scale where energy becomes discrete quantum units. This scale marks the beginning of observable phenomena. Fundamental particles, which make up the universe, are interpreted by Holl in his sculptures. Although these quantum points are not visible at their scale, they can be measured and imagined. The sculptures offer a larger-scale interpretation of particles such as quarks, electrons, and protons, based on current physics knowledge.
“Holl is a master colorist– there are no false notes in these paintings. The works have a lyricism to them that one can easily imagine are traces of light flying across their surfaces: they have a feeling of truth.”
Claire Lambe, from “Particle Point Collisions at Lockwood Gallery” Roll Magazine, rollmagazine.com. 2020
Join the artist in conversation, October 26, 12–5 pm
First Friday celebration: November 1, 5–7 pm
Acquire an art book; all proceeds are gifts to the Athens Cultural Center.
Book signing: 10/27, time TBD