Artlink is pleased to present the solo exhibition Embracing Solitude: Finding Energy in Stillness by Jay Holladay.

Please join us for the opening reception on Thursday, August 1st from 5-8 pm!

Embracing Solitude: Finding Energy in Stillness

The relationship between aloneness (rest) and movement (busyness) are integral to my everyday life, and has even helped me to grow. During the recent pandemic I sought out therapy to address battle with burnout and identity. I feared missing out on life, and like others, sought to busy my life in order to justify my existence. Instead, I discovered that just being alone was significant, and sitting in that space gave me the freedom to then move. My aloneness gave my life movement. Toward the tail end of the pandemic, I picked up tennis with some friends on the weekends. Tennis was a sport that intrigued me ever since learning in middle school and due to social distancing requirements it was natural to relearn the sport’s cadence. In tennis, I found myself isolated on one side- my opponent on the other. I had to learn and practice the rhythmic movements of the feet, hands, and upper body, all the while comprehending the mental strategies to win. I was struck by the very unique nature of the game of tennis; its isolating elements, its artistic movements, and at the professional level, its interaction with the audience as they gaze down at the participants in isolation with enveloping space. As in tennis, my own life of professional creation and daily routines consist of moments of intensity (busyness) and moments of attempted rest (aloneness)- and sometimes moments of both coinciding together. My study of the game of tennis (learning how to play and to paint) has revealed that each swing of the racket is just as intense as each moment of rest to collect myself to get ready for the next serve or volley. I started to ask myself: Do I work to rest or am I working from my rest? When I create from the latter I see growth in the development of my overall humanness and joy. This series consists of representative moments which catalog the overall moods and emotions that happen in life and the game of tennis (frustration of my serve, disappointment of my backhand, joy from my forehand) - all while displaying the intensity and vibrance of everyday life through bright color combinations.

About the Artist

Jay Holladay, a Detroit-based artist, draws inspiration from the ordinary, infusing it with nostalgia through meticulous mark making. Holladay finds visual joy from remixing everyday mundane life with his memories and experiences. The concept of timing plays an integral role in how Holladay formulates a new observation with old recollections. Whether capturing the energy of sports or the serene moments of daily life, Holladay records these moments on canvas to invite viewers to pause and reflect on shared remarks. There is a season for everything and each series of work is just a new starting off point for a new observation. Holladay focuses on drawing and painting as his output of choice but has a Bachelors in Graphic Design with a focus in Illustration from the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, IN. He currently resides in Detroit where he works for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as a Graphic Designer. He enjoys showing his work in local Detroit-based galleries as-well as his roots in Indiana.