Galactic Oxidation

This painting explores a quiet spatial tension through 50 individual layers of colour and receding geometry. Concentric planes draw the eye inward toward a central square where tones of deep violet, teal, and rust-like hues converge. The gradual transitions between colours create a sense of atmospheric depth, suggesting a space that is both architectural and luminous.

The surface carries a subtle sense of material transformation. Warm, oxidised tones emerge within the central field, recalling the slow processes of weathering and change, while cooler outer colours frame the composition with a calm, contemplative balance. The interplay between structure and diffusion allows the painting to shift between solidity and light, inviting prolonged viewing.

Balancing minimal geometry with expressive colour, the work sits within a contemporary abstract tradition that explores perception, colour relationships, and interior space. The composition functions as both a formal study of chromatic structure and a meditative visual field, where the eye moves steadily inward through layers of colour and atmosphere.

The result is a painting that offers both visual clarity and quiet depth—an architectural field of colour that unfolds gradually the longer it is observed.

Finished in 3 layers of protective satin varnish to give an even luminous glow.

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Brad Holland is an Australian artist living and working on Kaurna land near Port Adelaide, South Australia. His work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Australia, and in 2021 he was awarded the inaugural Founders Award for Large Statement Artworks in the Bluethumb Art Prize.

Drawing on personal history and long-held visual interests, Holland’s paintings explore a language shaped by 1970s and 1980s computer graphics, sci-fi visual effects, optical illusions, pop culture, and imagined inner landscapes. These influences are informed by over twenty years of experience working as a visual merchandiser for leading department stores, where spatial composition, colour, and visual impact were central concerns.

Originally working as a figurative painter, Holland shifted toward masking tape and hard-edge techniques in response to living with essential tremor, a degenerative neurological condition affecting hand stability. This transition became a defining aspect of his practice, allowing precision, control, and clarity to emerge through structure.

Today, his work is characterised by pulsating rectangles, transparent planes, concentric forms, and graphic patterns. Subtle transitions of tone and colour create immersive, meditative spaces that invite sustained attention and quiet contemplation.