What are you currently working on? 

I am currently working on a photo series inspired by Bond Girls and Futurism. For video, I’m continuing to evolve my video character Tan.

Which has the biggest impact on your work - art/photography, consumer images or cinema?

I’m mostly influenced by cinema (the moving image) and consumer images. My photo work relies heavily on a cinematic, performative angle. I’m deeply influenced by the aesthetic of 1960’s counterculture, French New Wave cinema and technicolor. The reason I use the still image instead of video is to capture the ‘in-between’ and sometimes momentary glitches of a performative piece, which I find exciting. My draw to consumer imagery focuses on the intention of the advertisement - I’m fascinated by propaganda. 

How has your work evolved over the years?

Once I pinned down the kind of photo work I wanted to make (self-portrait, performative, projection-based), I saw an opportunity to experiment in other mediums expanding my idea of where I could go with it. I’ve played with experimental theatre, performance art, music, costuming, playwriting, and video/film over the years - all of which inform my photo work. The new insights and ideas gained from collaborations are invaluable!

Your work has always balanced popular culture iconography and feminist issues. How do you maintain this position?

I’m a woman and feminist living in the most heavily image-saturated period in history - not only are we bombarded with contemporary images on television, phones, computers and in print, but we also have instant access to almost every photo of Marilyn Monroe ever taken. That’s wild! With all this information available, I see an opportunity to recontextualize American culture’s conscious use of women’s bodies as props for entertainment while amplifying its unconscious worship of femininity.

about hillary holsonback

In 2017 and 2019, Holsonback had solo exhibitions at Eugene Binder Gallery in Marfa, Texas, and Sean Horton Presents in Dallas, Texas. Her work was featured in I’m Looking Through You, a two-person exhibition at Horton Gallery, New York, 2012. Holsonback has been featured in various Dallas group exhibitions at the Dallas Contemporary, Site 131, and Barry Whistler Gallery, among others. The Dallas Observer recently named Holsonback (@hillyholsonback) one of the “Dallas Artists You Should Be Following on Instagram.”