Since the late 1800s, artists have used paint to embellish photographs,
adding rosy cheeks to a formal portrait or painting the sky of a majestic
landscape. Throughout the years, photographers have tread the line
between painting and photography, at times blending the two mediums
to create a new dialogue. One of the most revered artists to paint
on photographs is Holly Roberts, whose images force us to examine
ourselves and our humanity.
Holly Roberts grew up and still resides in New Mexico, a region
surrounded by desert. Known for its Native American heritage, New
Mexico is a place where indigenous ideology and Western beliefs merge,
creating a magical area filled with a sense of history and spirituality
-- elements essential to Roberts and her work.
In 1980, while living on a Zuni reservation in New Mexico, Roberts
quietly painted on photographs she had taken of her husband, children,
animals and friends. The results of her efforts was startling, as
her work was embraced across the country for its innovative style
and psychological dramas which confront the anguish, joy, challenges
and complexities involved in daily life.
Roberts uses paint to define the photographic image, allowing the
brush to guide her through a piece -- to move forward while still
being led. A portrait of a mother and child can become a piece about
ambiguity of feeling -- of being a mother, wife and artist and the
responsibilities that define these roles. This sense of conflict can
be seen in Small Child With Wolf, in which her daughters face
appears within the body of a salivating wolf. Questions abound. Has
the wolf swallowed her, is he protecting her or does she have the
fierce temper of a wolf within her? Questions are at the core of Roberts
work, allowing the viewer to exchange the personal identity of the
subject for an archetype, wherein we all can reside.
Through her steady and unflinching gaze, brutal honesty and tempered
toughness, Holly Roberts invites us to look inside ourselves to discover
our own fears and truths.
