While I Wait by Holly Terry
Holly Terry’s new exhibition While I Wait, at Fenton & Fenton, plays with the impact of texture, blending a mix of soft, organic and earthy materiality to bring her art to life.
Words: Georgie Ward | Photography: Taylah Golden
‘In life I’m generally drawn to things that have a soothing, easy energy to balance a busy mind,’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
‘My use of colour and shape, which, when fused together welcomes in a new way of looking at things,’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
‘Sometimes palettes and layout come together with ease, and a piece can take only a couple days, but other times pieces are harder to work with and have multiple works underneath,’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
‘I’ve moved into a big warehouse space with no limits on mess making, providing the perfect back drop for experimentation,’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
‘I share my studio space with two artists, the days in the studio are always hilarious and filled with laughs, which makes working so much more fun,’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
Making the move from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast, artist Holly Terry’s lifestyle was turned on its head - and so was her artistic style! After her relocation, Holly jumped straight into painting for her new exhibition, While I Wait, at Fenton & Fenton.
With a brighter palette than usual, her upcoming exhibition pushes her parameters into new experimentation with layers, colours and shapes.
We’re big fans of Holly’s work, she is a familiar face here at Hunter & Folk as one of our writers and has also been featured a few times! Her work will also be featured at our upcoming Hunter & Folk Group Show at Rainbow Studios this October!
Since a young age, Holly has always been surrounded by creativity, with a family that constantly encouraged her to paint, draw and make. Her nan was also an artist, who travelled the world painting landscapes of outback Australia, Morocco, Africa and Italy.
Growing up, Holly often stayed at her family beach house on the Victorian Peninsula, which had a spacious art studio on the property. ‘I used to spend the summers in the studio drawing while nan was painting. Creativity is something I’ve always grown up with and has always been there.’
Holly’s previous bodies of work focussed heavily on the literal, painting subject matter of yoga poses and the human figure. ‘These were subjects I felt like I knew well and had confidence in. I think staying within these parameters had something to do with comfort and finding my feet as an emerging artist,’ says Holly.
Moving out of her comfort zone, her new series focuses more on the abstract. ‘These days, I look beyond just the physical elements of yoga and try to portray more internal practices which incorporate energy or 'prana'. This particular body of work was a study into the idea of non-attachment and self reflection during a big life shift, so the shapes have organically become a little looser and not so clear depictions of the human form.’
‘There are always new materials I’m testing out and trying, and still many I want to incorporate into my practice at some point,’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
Holly Terry’s works utilise a soft, soothing palette with smooth lines and subtle textural layering. Photo: Taylah Golden
“To me, being a female emerging artist comes with a responsibility to share my message in my own way: feminine, strong, sensual and nurturing.”
‘Since a young age, I’ve had a deep need to create and make,’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
‘The works are all loose representations of the human body in practices of yoga,’ says Holly Terry. Photo: Taylah Golden
In the creation of this series of work, Holly undertook a very organic process, with every artwork starting with loose play.
Focusing less on the outcome, and practising this idea of non-attachment, Holly follows no rules at the outset of her work, with a playful layering of browns and earthy greens, she lays down the background which will inform each piece.
Her process then follows an intuitive layering of spray paint and pattern, with additions of texture that give the work a subtle strength. ‘I always like to play around by juxtaposing strength and ease in my work,’ she says.
Moving out of her make-shift home studio into a warehouse space, her style has been influenced by two other emerging artists who share the space! Holly speaks of how the bolder, brighter tones of her new series lends itself to the inspiration of her two fellow artistic friends, who gently pushed her to experiment more with colour.
Her intuitive, less structured way of working balances out her more orderly, neat personality. As a person Holly is super organised and likes things to be exactly right, yet her artistic aesthetic is eclectic yet refined.
‘I think my practice is an outlet for messiness and exploration, things that I don’t particularly like to have in other areas of my life! A place for things to get a little off centre, yet perfectly framed to fit within one timber square.’
WHILE I WAIT BY HOLLY TERRY AT FENTON & FENTON GALLERY
FROM 20TH - 29TH OCTOBER 2022
489 High Street, Prahran Melbourne