“To me, impressionism depicts these children as though they were one with the atmosphere surrounding them, as the culture and spirit of the Haitians seemed to be--so interwoven with their environment.
“The current fad in art," Holland continues, "is to shock people or appear ‘different.’ The world depicted by modern art often appears angry as a result. But I believe angry images have the power to shape a more angry reality. “My goal is to help people find the rays of sunshine in an often dark world. I endeavor to trigger positive, empowering, life-giving emotion--I believe art is that powerful.”
So he painted reality. Not the reality the world would have seen in a glance at his snapshots,
but the reality he experienced.
THE HIDDEN REALITY
"The Haiti I saw was like…a sewer," Holland explains. He hesitates to use such a repulsive word, but can't find another strong enough to express the utter filth he witnessed. "Streams of urine flow along the streets. The country has almost no natural resources left. People have bones sticking out of their skin for lack of money to get medical treatment.
"But I didn't want to paint that. I only wanted to hint at it. Instead,
I wanted to paint the dignity--these children are so quick to smile!"
So, in his series of paintings on the children of Haiti, Holland created a backdrop of sallow colors--sickly yellow-greens, dirty yellow-browns, weak grays--to represent the pallid environment in which they live. And--not coincidentally--sometimes his subjects actually blend right into that grim milieu.
But if that's not the first thing you notice in Holland's paintings,
don't feel bad--that's exactly the way he planned it. Using purer tones, strokes, and colors, he draws the eye to the hope that still remains: the sacred human spirit within each child--something you can see through the movement of a hand and the spark in an eye.
Hope in the midst of such suffering? How can it be?
For Holland, the hope is rooted in faith--and in his commitment to help. He believes as long as there is someone to help these children, there is hope.
A MOTHER'S LOVE
One of his works, "The Injured Child" is a clear departure from the others. Using the stark contrast of charcoal on linen, Holland depicts a mother holding her child. The infant girl had been horribly burned by spilled lantern oil.