SUPER WILD BEACH PARTY
Holly Leonardson

Artist Statement

Residing close to Newcastle's coastline for the past three years and living in the sunny Noosa Hinterland another three years prior, the beach hasn’t strayed far from Holly Leonardson's thoughts. Both wild, natural environment and site of lifestyle and culture, the coastline and its associated motifs are represented repeatedly across fine arts and handicrafts. A desire to gain a sense of belonging within this landscape has resulted in the ongoing creation of her own marine-focused works; an exercise in adding to a widely shared appreciation of the sea by way of the handmade.

Collecting, reflecting on and making use of shell necklaces and tourist tchotchkes, beach towels, sand, driftwood and other beachcombing finds, with the addition of paint and photographs clipped from discarded reference books, has resulted in a series of collage-based works on wood panel and small driftwood sculptures. Worn treasures found scattered along the shoreline have been collected and fashioned together by hand using simple materials such as nails and knotted cord to produce decorative hanging objects.

Beach towel-inspired stripes painted over layers of sand and photographic imagery are the main signifiers of a human presence within this body of work, which has been balanced with images of the landscape and wildlife seen from the skies, the water's edge or the oceans depths. Holly’s work in Super Wild Beach Party combines the serenity of a deserted beach on an overcast day and the vibrancy of colours revealed by a cloudless sky and burning sun on a popular stretch of sand. 

Artist Bio

Holly Leonardson is a visual artist currently residing in Newcastle, and has been working with collage-based concepts for over ten years. Her practice spans both handmade and digital collages, often extending to craft-based jewellery, textiles and small sculptural objects that maintain a focus on the assemblage of found imagery and materials. Holly’s work is guided by a playful, material-led process and an enthusiasm for frequent studio experimentation. She considers the collage and assemblage process as being fundamental to her way of working and thinking.

The main themes in Holly’s work reflect her interest in handcrafted objects and the making process, collections and collecting, surface and body adornment, domestic spaces and the natural environment. Drawn to the uninhibited nature of childlike mark-making and the balance of immediate and labour intense methods of creation, Holly’s work has often been described by others as joyous, meticulous, detailed and colourful.

Holly graduated from the University of Tasmania in 2015 with a Bachelor of Contemporary Art and has lived in four different states along the Australian east coast, seeking inspiration from bush walks and found objects. She currently works from a studio at Onwards Gallery crammed with beautiful old books.

Onwards Gallery
18 November 2022
6-9pm Opening Night
11am-4pm Thursday - Saturday
6 Torpey Place, Hamilton