Holly Lane’s Elegiac Shrines to the Natural World
The artist evokes a keen awareness of the threats facing the environment by honoring it through opulent, reliquary-style frames and delicate paintings.
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The artist created “After the Storm” (2012), one of the more personal pieces in the show, when a forced move brought her to a new loca tion outside the city. Its intricate crown signals triumph after trouble and the scenes revealed in its side portals — including a starry sky, a duck on books, and two dogs fighting over underwear — add wonderment and gentle humor.
Another work, “Gentle Muse” (2010), honors trees and their function as fuel, shade, construction materials, and pharmaceuticals. The Gothic-style side carvings of its frame recall the architecture of churches and are complimented by cylindrical apothecary jars. The central image of the tree, executed with graphite on mylar, has an elegiac quality that works in concert with the reliquary character of the frame.
Through her exploration of framing, Lane has invented new ways to present a secular sacred with nature at its center. Her art, with its intertwined symbols and images, invites a deeper contemplation of nature’s place and meaning in a time of environmental crisis.
Holly Lane—Not Enough Time to Love the Worldcontinues at the New Museum Los Gatos through January 12, 2025. The exhibition was curated by Helaine Glick.
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