CALIFIA

OPENING JULY 31st,2020

SULLIVAN GOSS, Santa Barbara, California

Woman at the Beach,48x48”, Oil and Cold Wax. Images of beach clad women from multiple generations are painted over collaged ephemera that hold clues to coastal identity.

The Califia Series plays with California’s namesake, Califia.

Califia is a mythical warrior queen, who raises an army of women warriors. The paintings in this series feature strong female figures who unravel the numerous layers of culture that continue to accumulate in California.

What parts of our folklore are true? In our rapidly changing world, what new myths are we creating to define who we are today? The paintings are built by layering multi media and imagery that explore ideas that define who we are, were we came from, and where we are headed in the most populous U.S. state.

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Pacific Life 22x30” Full bleed monoprint from the Archeological Dig Series

ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG SERIES
The layered monoprints from The Archeological Dig Series, will be featured in the Califia exhibition. These full bleed 22x30” BFK sheets of paper feature iconic symbols and icons that are embedded in our California life style. They are floated in low profile bamboo frames.

This method of layering has carried over to my paintings in the Califia Series.

Greetings From California 48x48” Oil and Cold Wax by Holli Harmon

Howdy! (Aloha, Hola, Haku, and Hi),

I hope this note finds you in good health and full of hope during this pandemic. This may be the only way to connect with all of you for a while. The sheltering in place has offered lots of time in the studio and extra attention to the garden. I also hope you have found some silver linings during the quarantine.

The Greetings From California painting was inspired by our everyday greetings of “Hello”. All of the words that I have obscured hold a cultural influence here in California. We are a “destination” to visit and countless visitors have sent off postcards with Greetings from California on the front. We can comfortably use any of these words of welcome…depending on your style. The one you may not be familiar with is our native Chumash. Their greeting is Haku. You will get to see this painting in person at Sullivan Goss gallery in August and September where I get to debut my Califia Series. I challenge you to find the multiple “greetings” in the painting!

The layering I am using in the Califia series is related to the multiple layers found in my monoprinting Archeological Dig Series . I am layering iconic California symbols to create patterns and compositions. Below is an example.

Root to Crown, 22x30, monoprint by Holli Harmon

It is easy to see that I am entranced with our State and our state of being.

Stay well and be happy,

Holli