Play

Original large format hard edge abstract acrylic painting.
For this artwork I have played with 2 main sources of inspiration and resolved them into my own visual language of expression.
The first was recently experiencing the pleasure of viewing first hand a large painting of white lilies by Diego Rivera.
The second was seeing a striking photo a friend showed me of a black lily that had recently bloomed in their garden.
In both cases I was struck by the intensity and subtlety of colour combinations that I had not thought of combining. Greens into deep red violet, into blue spectral highlights and soft notes of pink and peach. They left a deep impression on me.
The result is an immersive, meticulously painted, undulating surface of soft and vibrant colour transitions, which gently pulls the eye back and forth where the illusion of perspective is purposely distorted, quietly asking the viewer to let go of any preconceived notions of spacial reality and simply be in the moment with the artwork.
The title refers the multi faceted ambiguous nature of the word ‘play’. To play with ideas, a play in a theatre, a play on words, to have fun, manipulate and experiment. The overall composition, although geometric, has a floral characteristic and also resembles the triangular play button in modern technology.
Finished in a uv resistant satin varnish to reveal an even glow.

Thanks for taking the time to view the artwork and as always I’m happy to answer any questions about my practice.

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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.