Phenomenon (A)

This artwork is a finalist in the 2022 Bluethumb art prize in the abstract category.

Over the last couple of years I have experimented with creating curves from straight lines.

With this painting I wanted to create a circular curve by combining flat planes that converge towards a single point of perspective. I did a mock up in Adobe Illustrator and noticed a secondary curve forming that I didn’t anticipate. The inner secondary curves seemed to form an image suggesting the phenomenon of mitosis (cell division), one of the basic elements of life and regeneration, which also resembles the 2 hemispheres of a brain. This set up a pictorial harmony between these two phenomena.

The forms have been emphasised using a full variation of visible hues reminiscent of magnetic resonance imaging.

I have used transparent colours to suggest multiple planes. A difficult technique that requires patience and careful testing to replicate luminous light. The elements were then set against mid grey to provide a neutral non invasive setting.

This painting is a joyful expression of humanities ability to perceive existence creatively.

Progress photos of the techniques are in my ‘in studio posts’ in my Bluethumb profile.

Thankyou for taking the time to view this artwork.

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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.