Holly Wilson

Wilson is part of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma and Cherokee. Currently, she lives and works in the city of Mustang, Oklahoma.[1] According to Wilson, she used to call herself a sculptor, a clay artist, photographer, among many others before setting for the term "artist".[2] As a contemporary multimedia artist, her works range from using paint (oil), bronze, clay, wood, encaustic (hot wax) painting, photography, and more. Her artworks are exhibited nationally and internationally in private, public, and museum collections.[3] Her works exhibit many of the Native American folktales she used to listen to while growing up such as shape shifter tricksters, messenger birds, owl bearers.[4] Thus, her works consists of stick-like figures and animals that share human qualities to them.[5]

Holly Wilson
Born1968
OccupationContemporary multi-media artist
Years active1990s – Present
OrganizationDelaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma and Cherokee

Holly Wilson (born 1968) is an American artist.

Education

In 1992 at the Kansas City Art Institute, Holly Wilson earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics. In the following year at the Cameron University in Oklahoma, she received her Teaching Certification in primary and secondary education (k-12). At the Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, Wilson earned her Master of Arts in ceramics and a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture in 1994 and 2001 respectively.[3][6]

Artworks

Bloodline

Bloodline, created in 2015, is in a 3-D art form that is 29 inches in height, 9 inches in depth, and 264 inches in width.[7] Wilson traced her Native American lineage to share her identity and family history to prove the amount of blood quantum that is required to be an Indian.[8] She was inspired by the Native American story of the Stick People. Bloodline is composed of several sections, each possessing a different generation of her family. The bronzed patina figures form a single line and walk along the locust cut wood. With the wood cut lengthwise, its life history is unveiled for the audience to see, and the author used that to represent the lives of the figures standing above the wood. When it is hung and light is projected upon it, it creates a shadow.[7] That shadow is the artist's intangible memories constituting the figure's life in history. Leading the beginning of the wall sculpture are her five children, including three that didn't survive; the second section consists of her siblings as well as herself; then her parents, and so forth. With the figures walking together as one, it emphasizes the joint effort of her ancestor's and their offspring in building a family. [8][7]

We Need A Hero

We Need A Hero is a sculpture that stretches throughout a wall. The sharp tacks lodged on the wall are incoming bombs that represent messages coming from society. The messages come in an array of different shapes and colors signifying that not all will survive or reach very far. The blue messages are harmless, but the white ones lead to destruction for it is highly explosive. The little boy, who she referenced after her son, stands proudly on top of a bronze paper airplane. By placing the boy in the center of the incoming danger, Wilson is indicating that the child is ready to face the world set before him.[8]

Under the Skin

Her children and the crayon boxes she had to buy for them in school inspired her to create the medium of Under the Skin. What ignited the story of creating this sculpture was the conversation between two children. They described their classmates using colors with no ill intent. She combined the leftover crayons her kids had used and with the vivid colors of the crayons, she created rows upon rows of little figurines on the wall. Each figure had its designated color and put together in a way where it created a rainbow. The purpose of "Under the Skin" is to display that no matter the color of our skin, the shape of our body, or our origin, we are all the same.[9]

Exhibitions

Solos
  • On Turtles Back (Solo)[10]
  • Talk Story (solo)[11]
  • I'm Still Here (solo)[12]

Groups
  • Art for a New Understanding: Native Voices, 1950s to Now[13]
  • Hear My Voice: Native American Art of the Past and Present[1]
  • Four by Four 2016: Midwest Invitational[3]
  • Expressions of Spirit 1994[3]

Collections

This gallery includes some of her artworks such as the "Dancing by the Light of the Fireflies She Was Herself" made from oil paints on panel; "Frayed" and "Finding My Way Back" was made by bronze and patina; "Carried in the Wind" with bronze; using encasutic she created "The Promises of Tomorrow She Held Within", and "Brother and Sister" with bronze, patina, and wood.[12][14]

The eight artworks in this gallery include "Gathering" made from bronze, patina, and wood; "Paper Wings: Fearless", "Guarded Self", and "We Need a Hero" that were made from using bronze and patina; "Night Garden" created with encaustic (hot wax) on a panel; "It's My Party" with patina and bronze; "The Interwoven Dragon" made from bronze, steel, cedar, and patina; and"Girl in the Red Dress" with cold wax and oil paint on panel. [15]

The Eitelijorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art

Includes her sculptures such as "Belonging" (2014) made from Geodes and Bronze, and "Masked" (2012) made from African Mahogany and Bronze.[16][17]

Others
  • Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University
  • Virginia Museum of Fine Arts[18]
  • Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian[3]
  • The Heritage in Oklahoma

Honors and awards
  • 2015: From the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art - Eiteljorg Fellowship[17][16]
  • 2017: From the Santa Fe Indian Market - SWAIA Discovery Fellowship[4]

References
  1. "Hear My Voice: Holly Wilson Discusses Yupik Mask". Virginia Museum of Fine Arts |. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  2. "Oral history interview with Holly Wilson". dc.library.okstate.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  3. "Holly Wilson". www.artprize.org. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  4. Market, SWAIA/Santa Fe Indian. "SWAIA Announces Annual Fellowship Winners". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  5. "Features | ARTDESK". readartdesk.com. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  6. "Art for a New Understanding-Native Perspectives 1950 to Now". 2018-11-17. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  7. Gr, Monroe Community Church 800 Monroe NW; Rapids; PM, MI 49503 Hours of Operation Monday12 PM-8 PM Tuesday12 PM- 8 PM Wednesday12 PM- 8 PM Thursday12 PM- 8 PM Friday12 PM- 8 PM Saturday9 AM- 8 PM Sunday12 PM- 6. "Bloodline by Holly Wilson". www.artprize.org. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  8. "Holly Wilson: On Turtle's Back". Southwest Contemporary. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  9. "Under The Skin". Holly Wilson. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  10. "Holly Wilson: On Turtle's Back > Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)". Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  11. "The New Year Brings New Exhibitions". UC Davis. 2018-01-04. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  12. "Holly Wilson "I'm Still Here" | M.A. Doran Gallery | Artsy". www.artsy.net. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  13. "Biography". Holly Wilson. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  14. ManagedArtwork.com. "M. A. Doran Gallery". www.madorangallery.com. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  15. "Artist Detail". www.bonnerdavid.com. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  16. "Meet the Eiteljorg's 2015 Contemporary Art Fellows | Each to receive $25,000". Eiteljorg. 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  17. "Meet 2015 Fellow Holly Wilson". Eiteljorg. 2015-11-04. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
  18. "Bloodline: The Matriarchs (Primary Title) - (2017.203)". Virginia Museum of Fine Arts |. Retrieved 2020-03-12.
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