Contemporary painter Loie Hollowell creates radiant abstract biomorphic paintings that draw upon spirituality and sexuality. Inspired by tantric painting traditions, Hollowell’s otherworldly ‘abstract body landscapes’ have drawn comparisons to the sensual feminist imagery of Georgia O' Keeffe and Judy Chicago.
Hollowell’s distinctive geometric compositions are built upon universally, often spiritually, symbolic shapes such as the mandorla, ogee and lingam. Lingam is derived from the Hindu symbol of divine generative energy and is an abstract representation of the deity Shiva, known as the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. There are many both benevolent and fearsome depictions of Shiva in Hindu mythology, who appears as an omniscient yogi living an ascetic life on Mount Kailash in some interpretations and as a fierce demon slayer in others. This ambivalent portrayal imbues Hollowell’s painting with dark, latent energy, and provides an apt metaphor for the polarised treatment of depictions of female iconography through the ages.
Hollowell’s paintings also derive directly from the artist’s personal, corporeal experiences of life, in particular her journey through pregnancy and birth. The scale of her work is particularly significant and is created in direct correlation with the size of the body part depicted, be it the head, breasts, groin, or entire body. Protruding forms blend seamlessly into the canvas, forcing the viewer to move around the work to determine whether the work’s tactile depth rings true or is simply a playful illusion. This performative aspect to Hollowell’s work speaks to her masterful manipulation of space, surface, light and shadow.
Loie Hollowell is represented by Pace Gallery.
Provenance
Feuer/Mesler, New York Acquired from the above by the present owner
signed, titled and dated ‘"Linked Lingam in Green/Teal, Purple, Yellow, Blue" 2016 Loie Hollowell’ on the reverse oil on linen mounted on panel 71.1 x 53.3 cm. (28 x 21 in.) Painted in 2016.