Hello Guernica, 2014, Oil on canvas, 10" x 20"
Field Notes
A Local Look at Global Art
Leslie Holt by Betsy Wills
What is believed to be the oldest recovered “message in a bottle” was found last month floating in the Baltic Sea. At 101 years old, the missive was returned to the granddaughter of the author, Richard Platz, who had died in 1946. This is the stuff of mystery novels. As a diehard romantic, I’ve had great fun imagining why he may have penned the note. More than likely it was a lark for posterity whose mission now stands accomplished. One of the reasons I love art is that it offers its own form of time travel. Artist Leslie Holt serves up this theme with aplomb by having syrupy-cute “Hello Kitty” pop up in imitations of iconic artworks. The viewer is forced to look more closely at the canvas and consider the intentions of both past and present artist. Who knows where this feline rascal will show up next? Is she taking her message back—or bringing something forward?
Hello Scream (Packing Heat), 2014, Oil on canvas, 10" x 8" 100 | May 2014 NashvilleArts.com
Betsy Wills admits that she is blissfully ignorant when it comes to art curation and selection. She is, however, an avid art lover and collector and maintains the popular art blog artstormer.com. Wills is proud of the fact that her art does not match her sofa.