Featured Artist Interview- Cameron Holmes
Bluethumb Artist Cameron Holmes explores the fragility of the human condition through a social, political and psychological context. His style is constantly evolving and his work relies heavily on symbols and depictions of real things. He believes all art is recreating the beauty of nature, and human beings are both conflicting in our beauty and destructive natures. Cameron balances being an artist of the here and now, representing the present, while also respecting and learning from the past masters that shaped the culture.
What makes you want to create art/what inspires you?
I believe in the power of art, and I guess the motivation to create comes from wanting to make work that is meaningful and impactful. I feel like art is a great voice for human expression, so I make work that I feel reflects human beings and their flaws/beauty. My inspiration can come from a wide variety of sources, other art forms, personal experiences and social trends that I feel inspired to paint/draw about.
A sneak peek into Cameron’s Studio
We love your piece ‘Take off your cool’. What inspired this one?
‘Take off your cool’ is inspired by the idea/illusion of coolness, and how it’s taken a massive hold in society. As advertising and television continue to bombard us with what’s attractive and acceptable, my intention is to highlight the false and pretentious nature of trying to be something you are not. The idea of ‘taking off your cool’ is pointing towards the idea of people just being themselves, and not being afraid to do that.
Do you like to take on commission work, or mainly paint what you like/feel at the time?
I am happy to take on commissioned work if I believe in the idea/concept.
Cameron’s latest WIP shots
What are 3 pieces of art from any artists that have an influence on you and your work?
I’m going for three big names, but these pieces played a massive reason in me wanting to make art, and they still do:
‘Guernica’ by Pablo Picasso. It’s one of the most famous pieces ever made by one of the most famous artists of all time. The impact of Guernica showed me the power of art. The way Picasso used his intense emotions/feelings to channel that into Guernica and make an iconic piece of work reflected the social situation at the time.
‘Irony of a Negro Policeman’ by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Basquait made highly socially aware work. In this piece he paints about the irony of a negro policeman in the American system, a system that Jean-Michel was suggesting had forgotten the negro race. The negro policeman is being criticized by Jean-Michel for ironically enforcing rules that are made to enslave himself. The complex nature of the work is inspiring to me, as well as the direct content and layering of symbols, meanings, and words.
‘The Potato Eaters’ by Vincent Van Gogh. This was one of Van Gogh’s earlier works, which for me is inspiring because of the way it represents a common people that rarely got enough attention. It shows a different side of civilization that wasn’t usually seen.
Do you like to listen to music when you work? If so, what tunes do you like best?
I have music on a majority of the time when I work, so I feel like music is somewhat apart of my work. Hip Hop/Rap is my favourite genre of choice so it gets a lot of airtime, but I’m not really snobbish with music choice and I appreciate most of the genres.
Who is your favourite Aussie artist and why?
My favourite Australian artist at the moment is probably Anthony Lister. He is very innovative and always pushing the boundaries with new work/installations and challenging himself. He also works on a street art level and his work has a visual/intellectual impact which I like.
Stay up to date with Cameron’s work at: http://www.camholmes.com/
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