Joseph Holston-Color in Freedom

Editor’s Perspective: A Teaching Moment
The Art of Joseph Holston, Part 1–Color in Freedom: Journey Along the Underground Railroad
Next Issue: The Art of Joseph Holston, Part 2–Destined for Greatness

Editor’s Perspective: A Teaching Moment

My recent interview with Joseph Holston left me feeling overwhelmed. How do I best convey the brilliance of this critically acclaimed cubist abstractionist painter – printmaker? That Joseph Holston is thriving here and abroad is a statement on his tireless work ethic, his ability to create art that’s appealing and continuously evolving, and his unwavering commitment to his craft and patrons.

His most recent major accomplishment, Color in Freedom: Journey Along the Underground Railroad, is a narrative pictorial done in four movements. This exhibition depicts a shameful period in America’s history — slavery and the painful journey of Africans in the new world, and their struggle to escape a life of oppression. Color in Freedom touches the psyche on multiple levels — artistic technique and style, historical context, and cultural and social relevance.

Organized by the Arts Program, University of Maryland University College, it was unveiled in November 2008. The exhibit is now touring and is currently scheduled to appear at the Muscatine Art Center in Iowa from August 30, 2009 – October 24, 2009; the Amarillo Museum of Art in Texas from November 6, 2009 – January 17, 2010; and the Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site and the Mulvane Art Center in Topeka, Kansas from February 5, 2010 – April 3, 2010 (These two sites are sharing the exhibition, two movements will be on display at each location).

Color in Freedom, is designed to be a “teaching moment,” and is supported by multi-disciplinary tools for the classroom including a virtual tour and lesson plans developed for various disciplines. If you missed the UMUC exhibition or want to see it again, do a virtual tour at http://www.umuc.edu/colorinfreedom/gallery/shtml. For info on scheduling the exhibit, see prospectus at http://www.artsandartists.org/exh.detail.php?exhID=102.

Click below to order the 96-page full color catalog,
Color in Freedom: Journey Along the Underground Railroad

Peace!

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The Art of Joseph Holston, Color in Freedom: Journey Along the Underground Railroad

Surrendering Soul

Following North Star

Dignifying Hope

Joseph Holston

There’s no question that Joseph Holston’s artistry is amazing, that he’s building unique bodies of work that are distinctly his own style. And, sitting one-on-one with him is a real treat because he doesn’t do many interviews. Being a prolific painter – printmaker, he’s constantly working to meet his deadlines, and he doesn’t have time to spare.

Color in Freedom: Journey along the Underground Railroad, is a landmark body of work, organized by the University of Maryland University College. Now on tour, the exhibit is an important historical account of the African American’s experience — from slavery to freedom. The exhibit is a visual healing tool for African American people and American culture because it brings to life and gives voice to this painful episode in American history. Initial planning on the exhibition began in 2005, and the entire project came to fruition in November 2008. Opening with a full-day symposium on history and art surrounding the Underground Railroad, the David C. Driskell Center organized the event at the University of Maryland College Park in collaboration with UMUC.

The paintings and etchings for Color in Freedom were created over an intense six-month period during which Joseph lived and breathed the emotional journey of the African uprooted from his home and transplanted into a hateful environment. He got into character by walking along one Maryland route of the Underground Railroad, and envisioning the physical and psychological torment that the slaves were enduring. He describes the project as gut-wrenching and emotionally exhausting.

Color in Freedom tells the story in four movements: The Unknown World; Living in Bondage – Life on the Plantation; The Journey of Escape; and Color in Freedom. This visual narrative depicts the harsh realities that African Americans endured and the courage it took to regain freedom. Joseph laid the groundwork by creating 100 drawings or studies to serve as his road map. He explains that his creative explorations flow from the studies. They don’t take a lot of time and energy, but they are an essential part of his creative process.

Typically, from an image drawn in pencil, Joseph fabricates the concept as a color study, and then renders it in paint on canvas. Some images are also reinterpreted as etchings. Completing Color in Freedom was a major feat. The short deadline required him to stay in his studio, working around the clock, and he visited home only on the weekends. The exhibit includes 50 paintings, etchings, and studies. The paintings are done in acrylic or mixed media and measure 48″x42″.

And, although the exhibit is emotionally charged there are glimmers of hope even in the darkest hours. From one movement to the next, Joseph’s colorful palette travels from expressing downtrodden blues, and forms and imagery of despair, to explosions of color and joyful body movements celebrating freedom and liberation.

Joseph’s emotionally stirring representation of a troubling period in American history is providing a platform for discussion, and a vehicle for healing the African American’s traumatic journey to reclaiming dignity.

Here’s a sampling of the four movements:

First Movement – The Unknown World