Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1954, Holly Lane earned her BFA and MFA with distinction from San Jose State University, CA. Her uniquely-carved sculptural pieces have been included in several distinctive exhibitions, including “Re-presenting Representation” at the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira, NY, “New Voices, New Visions” at the Kennedy Museum of American Art at Ohio University, and “Myths and Magical Fantasies” at California Center for the Arts Museum in Escondido. Lane’s work has also been included in several International Art Fairs in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
In 2003, Holly Lane had her first solo exhibition at Forum Gallery, New York. She has also had solo exhibitions at the Lyman Allyn Art Musuem in London, CT and the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, MT. Her work is included in public collections at The Detroit Zoological Institute, Dow Jones & Co, Principle Financial Group, and Memphis Cancer Center, as well as over eighty private collections.
Press, Reviews and Catalog Excerpts
“At first glance, one might mistake Holly Lane’s loving painted intricately framed icons for odd religious relics. But Lanes artifacts are far from antiquated. Rather, they are quirky allegorical narratives addressing such diverse issues as the role of women in society, spiritual faith, and environmental degradation from a wryly humorous highly personal point of view”. – George Melrod, Art & Antiques, September 1995
“Lane merges the abbreviated physical spaces of early Renaissance tableaus with the psychological realm explored in Surrealist painting.” – Berin Golonu, Artweek, Previews, April 2001
“Lane combines several images on separate panels to create a layered narrative. To complement her small-scale pictures she carves and paints wood frames that amplify the paintings’ themes and become part of the work.” – Katherine Gregor, ARTnews, Holly Lane, “Frame and Fiction, Summer 1992
“Lane use(s) painting as a crystallized mental theatre (that) seductively illustrates discursive ideas”. – Peter Schjeldahl, Catalog essay, California Center for the Arts Museum, “Myths & Magical Fantasies” October 27,1996-February 2, 1997
“Holly Lane paints animals people and scenes from the natural world to create allegories that address large philosophical questions in an intimate fashion. Attempting to reconcile culture and nature, social and biological conflict, the future and the past, Lane’s intricately carved, altar-like pieces touch on human foibles with gentle humor.” – Memphis College of Art Biennial 1999 catalog – February 1999
“Her symmetrical wooden altars house odd surreal paintings as the intricate physical body houses the enigmatic soulher meticulous carving share intriguing formal qualities with the convoluted and bio-morphic imagery found within the picturesThe sum creates allegorical shrines exuding thought-provoking psychological elements”- Anthony Di Maggio, Review, NYC, September 15, 1999
“Her sculpted frames resonant references to Old Masters and her surrealist facility for creating fantastic terrains, seemingly point to the past. Lane, however, is very much in the fast lane of contemporary culture. Her intellectually rigorous approach on canvas in addressing such powder keg issues as feminism, the environmental and animal rights easily hurdle any notion of propaganda. Lane’s paintings elicits vigorous contemplation. For those ready to the challenge, the rewards are beyond measure.” – Judd Tully, catalog essay, “Pictures on the Edge, The Narrative Images of Holly Lane” March 1995 Art Museum of Southeast Texas