jammie holmes in conversation
with curatorial associate emily edwards
What motivates you to go to your studio?
What motivates me is my general love for art. I love going to my studio it’s my sanctuary my safe house. All the energy from every canvas lives there between my canvas and Abi. Being self taught I’m always pushing myself to be better than my last painting.
How do you define your personal creative process?
My creative process is unique. I like to bring in pieces of my art while I work in my studio. It’s almost like an audience for me. I can feel the energy I put into every canvas that’s in the room and I let that help guide me through my next piece.
Can you share a recent happy moment anecdote about making an art work?
I painted a piece I wasn’t to happy about and decided to paint black over it when I saw how pure the black looked and felt I wrote simple letters on it with white pastels and created one of my favorite pieces to date.
What have you been reading or watching recently, and does this impact your current work?
Lately I haven’t been watching much TV because I'm trying to keep my mind clear and free of all the noise dealing with the ongoing crisis so that I can continue to create. I'm really into vintage cars, so I prefer to watch a show called Raps and Lowriders by Currensy, a Louisiana rapper, who has greatly influenced the car culture. Creatively, it helps put my mind at ease, helps me relax for the next day ahead.
How has Dallas shaped your work, if at all?
I would say that spending a year living in Deep Ellum and seeing all the murals and the weathered, historic buildings gave me inspiration to create great work.
about jammie holmes
Jammie Holmes was born in Thibodaux, Louisiana, and is currently based in Dallas, Texas. Holmes is a self-taught, neo-expressionist, painter with a raw and energy ladened portfolio of work that addresses religious, political, and contemporary issues. Through his seminal use of color and recurring symbolism, Holmes creates art works that provide viewers with a look into his complex thinking. In comparison to his normally stoic and reserved demeanor, Holmes' works burst with passion and theatrical expression. Although his paintings are beautiful at first glance, a closer look will uncover a darkness and vulnerability that are uniquely his. Born to a Sierra Leonean father and having grown up impoverished in Southern Louisiana, his expressive paintings are reflections of his upbringing and various social events around the world. Despite not having a formal art education, the intrinsic value and aesthetic reach of Holmes' work is steadily increasing within regional, national and international art worlds.