Last supper 2014

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Abstract Heads The Last Supper

jd holden 201 4


La Hormigonera, Barcelona 24 April - 1 5 May 201 4



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'La Última Cena' es el título del último

trabajo de la serie "Cabezas Abstractas", basada en una escultura/pintura encontrada por Jonathan en las calles de Gracia.

Se servirán 7 tipos de canapés con un significado detrás de su elaboración:

Le intrigaba este objeto, como le dio la oportunidad de crear una obra con un tema espiritual, manteniendo dentro de las limitaciones de sus reglas autoimpuestas. Modernismo, como regla general, prefiere deshacerse de lo espiritual y referencias a Dios, que han sido un tema en el arte durante mucho tiempo.

1 . Copas de lechuga romana, ensalada de zanahoria e hinojo, almendras tostadas, aliño de rábano picante para simbolizar el amargor y la dureza de esclavitud que padecieron los Judíos en antiguo Egipto. (Maror & Chazeret)

Cabezas Abstractas es una serie estructurada de obras que sigue tres principios fundamentales en su elaboración:

2. Ensalada de hierbas, alcaparras, naranja, parmesano - los sabores salados simbolizan las lágrimas de los Judíos esclavizados. (Karpas)

1 .Inspiración en vivo, lo que es la cabeza. 2.Se presenta en un formato de 40 x 40 cm. 3.El trabajo se presenta en forma de tríptico.

3. Huevos rellenos (devilled eggs) - simbolizan el sacrificio del festival que se ofreció en el templo de Jerusalén (Beitzah)

Al paso del tiempo, estos principios de alguna manera han sido corrompidos para así obtener de diferentes maneras.

4. Chips de topinambur con sal de romero - un sustituto para el sacrificio de Pesáj que era un cordero que se ofreció en el templo de Jerusalén (Zeroa)

Es evidente que para llegar a la elaboración de estas piezas, tuvimos como inspiración una figura y no una serie de personas, sin embargo debido a el acabado y representación tan exacta de La última cena, el artista pudo plasmar de forma precisa la esencia de cada uno de los rostros de los personajes que conformaron dicho evento. Para esta exposición el artista decidió trabajar tanto con esculturas a base de metales como pinturas a base de acrílico y tinta. Lo que logramos con esta exposición, es revolucionar estos principios, buscando nuevos caminos para crear nuevas piezas pero manteniendo la esencia. A base de tradiciones judías y cristianas, el artista decidió llevar a cabo una cata de canapés representando algunos de los platillos más característicos de esta religión.

5. Puré de escalivada, pan de pita, crudités - que representa el plato en el cual Jesus mojó el pan al mismo tiempo que Judas, quien fue profetizado a traicionar a Jesus. 6. Albaricoque, azafrán, nuez de pacano en matzá con manchego curado - Una pasta dulce y de color marrón que representa el mortero que usaron los judíos cuando construyeron los almacenes de Egipto. (Charoset) 7. Cheesecake de fresas - un fin alegre, para celebrar y regocijarse.

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Se servirá también vino y cava, que forma parte esencial de la representación.



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‘The Last Supper’ is the title of the latest

7 types of canapés with a meaning behind their creation will be served:

work in the series “Abstract Heads”. It is based on a sculpture/painting which Jonathan found on the streets of Gracia in Barcelona. He was intrigued by this object, as it gave him the opportunity to create work with a spiritual theme, while keeping within the constraints of his self-imposed rules. Modernism, as a rule, prefers to remove the spiritual, and references to God, which have been a theme in art for the longest time.

1 . Romaine cups, carrot & fennel slaw, toasted almonds, horseradish dressing - symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Ancient Egypt (maror and chazeret) 2. Herb salad, capers, orange, parmesan - the salty taste symbolise the tears of the Jews in slavery (Karpas)

Abstract Heads is a structured series of works which follow three fundamental principles in their creation:

3. Devilled eggs - symbolizing the festival sacrifice that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem (Beitzah) Traditionally a hard-boiled egg, the bedevilment adds a Christian element, showing that the Devil entered Judas

1 . The Head must be inspired from a living person, and drawn from life. 2. The size is a format of 40 x40cm. 3. The work is created as a triptych.

4. Jerusalem Artichoke crisps w/ rosemary salt substituting the the Passover sacrifice, which was a lamb offered in the Temple in Jerusalem (Zeroa)

Over time, these rules have been broken in some ways to find different ways of presenting new work.

5. Puré de escalivada, pan de pita, crudités representing the dish which Jesus dipped his bread into at the same time as Judas, who was prophesied to betray Jesus.

It is evident that the making of these pieces had inspiration from a model and not a series of people, however due to the nature and representation of this Last Supper, the artist could capture the essence of each one of the faces of the characters. For this exhibition the artist chose to work with both metal based sculptures and acrylic paint and ink. What is achieved with this exhibition is to revolutionize these principles, seeking new ways to create new pieces while maintaining the essence. Based on Christian and Jewish traditions, the artist decided to conduct a supper, a tasting of appetizers representing not only Passover and The Last Supper, but joyful celebration as well.

6. Apricot-saffron-pecan on matzoh with cured manchego - A sweet, brown, pebbly paste of fruits and nuts, representing the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt. (Charoset) 7. Strawberry Cheesecake - a merry end to the supper, to celebrate and rejoice. Wine and cava will also be served as an essential part of the happening. 24



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Conversation with JDHolden by Patricia Pla Illa

What attracted you to "The Last Supper"?

This really came from the painting/sculpture/relief which I found on the streets of Gracia. One of my rules for Abstract Heads is to make the original drawing from life. When I saw the three dimensional heads in this Last Supper I realised that I could bend this rule (though there are some who would say that one of the characters at the table is still alive!) I am interested in the traditions of art, and using them as a basis for moving forward. I don't believe that art should always be looking to destroy the past, to reject religious art just because we have found new subjects (or non-subjects) for art. Modern Art can just as easily have a traditional/religious/spiritual element to its theme, if the use of the media is moving in new directions. And that is what I am trying to do.

It's an honor to talk with an artist like Jonathan Holden, because his pieces are spectacular. And I would like to make designer jewelry pieces like these! How did you enter the world of art?

When I was 1 7 I went to Glasgow and wandered around the art galleries and had afternoon tea. I saw Dali's "Christ of Saint John of the Cross" and Charles Rennie Mackintosh's house at the Hunterian Museum. I felt very comfortable in this world. It wasn't until I was about 35 that I started a Life Drawing Class in the UK, and then not until I moved to Barcelona in 2007 did I start working more seriously as an artist.

Do you usually make the sculpture first and afterwards draw or paint it, or the other way round?

Are you methodical or misled by the creative process?

With "The Last Supper" I was exploring the idea of how to represent the image of a sculpture without just taking a photograph. Richard Serra creates engravings of his sculptures, and I thought painting pictures of the sculptures would add a new dimension. I like to play with the "Modern" idea of "What is a painting? What is a sculpture?" and see how these two areas of art interplay.

I'm definetly not methodical. I like to play with ideas, to see where I can take them. But I also like to have some constraints, some "rules" that give some structure to my work. Of course then, I like to break the rules! Did studying religion help you to shape your work, as it did El Greco?

Which authors influenced you the most and why?

What I remember most about studying religion at University was the "Iconography of Religions" course. It was a presentation of religious ideas as seen through the art of Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam. The El Greco paintings really struck me as being amazing but which happened to use a religious theme. Modern art moved away from the traditional religious iconography, but it's an important tradition, so I'm happy to use it as a reference in my art.

Clement Greenberg, the American art critic and Robert Hughes, a critic who followed him. I also love reading interviews with artists, as it gives a good insight into their practice. I've spent a lot of time in the library at the TĂ pies Foundation reading collections of discussions with artists.

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large scale experiment with Abstract Heads sculptures, and I was delighted when I was able to exhibit it an "Upper Room" in the gallery of Mezzanina in Gracia. It was a kind of homecoming for the piece, because the original painting/sculpture/relief was found on the streets of Gracia.

He cited Piet Mondrian as an artist that he likes. It is a great coincidence that I made two collections of jewelry (Mondrian and Petit Mondrian)!. I guess he moved the straight lines and precision of Mondrian to move to transform them into three dimensions. Do you play with volume to make sculpture?

The pieces are very dynamic and with a great balance.

The sculptures in the "Abstract Heads" series start life as a flat surface with lines. They are lines that become planes that become volumes. I suppose the key with the Abstract Heads sculptures is that I have in mind the dimensions of a head, which give them a certain form. I've never thought about this before and I suppose if you look at some of the sculptures in "The Last Supper" they are moving away from these "square" dimensions. The other point is that the sculptures must be freestanding. As I weld them together, I have to make sure that they will balance physically. In fact, it's a bit of a surprise when I see the finished sculpture, because I don't plan or design it first, it evolves out of the process of creation from the table out.

Does Barcelona promote artists?

Barcelona is a fantastic city to live in as an artist. There is a real freedom here to create work. But in order to create the next work, artists need to sell the previous work. And this is the problem. There are bars and restaurants that will display work; there are spaces you can rent to put on a show. But at the moment, it's quite difficult to find a gallery to show my work. They are quite conservative. But there are some new initiatives that the galleries are talking, and I really believe that Barcelona has the potential to be a world class centre for fine art, in the way that Berlin has been, but it also needs to look to the outside world.

Can objects found in the street become a work of art?

You are a person with a great sense of humor. How do you acquire new personal art challenges?

I'm not a big fan of "found object art" personally, but of course, anything can be art. Having said that, I have a series called "Groundworks" which looks at making fine art from the city environment. I wouldn't want to make art from concrete blocks, but I do make art by printing concrete blocks onto paper. I like my art to look "Modern", but to be made via a "contemporary" practice.

I see most of my artistic practices as series of challenges or problems to solve. It's that which makes me a Modern Artist, I think. It's not that the content is not important in the work, just that exploring the artistic process is more important. Although I don't think my art is humorous, I do enjoy stepping back as it's nearing completion and feeling an enormous joyous satisfaction with works as they come to have a life of their own.

Please explain the experiment of carved wood... for me it's great!

You see, an artist of the highest quality. I love his work. It has its own stamp and a story behind it that will surprise and astonish everyone.

This was the first iteration of "The Last Supper", which I made from pieces of old doors and other furniture which I found on the streets near my studio. It was my first 30







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Photographs All "Abstract Heads: The Last Supper" sculptures: recycled steel, 201 4

All "Abstract Heads: The Last Supper" paintings: goache and ink on paper, 201 4

1 . Judas 3. Disciple 1 2 4. Last Supper, plaster relief, found object 5. Disciple 1 2 6. JD Holden at the inauguration 7. Disciple 9 8. Disciples 1 ,2 and 3 9. Disciple 5 1 0. Disciples 9 and 1 0 1 1 . Disciple 1 0 1 2. Disciple 8 1 3. Disciple 8 1 4. Abstract Heads: The Last Supper, installation view 1 5. Jesus 1 6. Canapes at the inauguration

1 7. Disciple 6 1 9. Disciple 2 21 . Disciple 1 1 22. Sculptures 9,1 0,1 2 and painting 1 3 23. Judas 25. Disciple 1 1 27. Disciple 3 29. Disciple 1 31 . Disciple 1 32. Studio View: The Last Supper 33. Studio View: The Last Supper 34. Studio View: The Last Supper 35. Studio View: The Last Supper 36. Collector View: Disciple 9 37. Studio View: Jesus, 1 , 9, Judas, 5, 4 38. Studio View: 8, 2, 1 1 , 6, Jesus, 3


Š JD Holden 201 4 www.jdholden.com art@jdholden.com 40


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