Holly James’ work is about Phenology - the study of seasons. Her process starts with walking, noticing, and documentation through photography. From photos, she creates a colour library of hex codes. Then she designs grid-based patterns using handmade algorithms. This approach gives the work a natural feel, mirroring nature’s patterns without repeats. Her work refers to Bauhaus textiles by evolving abstract pattern design using digital techniques. She has been using cross-stitch because of its grid-based constraints. These works are a joyful celebration of the ever-changing nature of seasons. The colour library acts as a climate archive to document colours and timings that may irretrievably be lost.
Holly James studied at The Northern School of Art (2009) and completed an Art Practice BA at Goldsmiths, University of London (2012). She is currently working on a 3-month commission with Attenborough Arts Centre in Leicester to research the River Trent. In 2021, she was awarded a grant from Arts Council England to produce a series of 12 works, and undertook a residency and exhibited at Surface Gallery in the group show ‘Without The Sun’. She has worked as a producer on projects with Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Caravan Gallery, and Nottingham Writer’s Studio and has artwork in the Brooklyn Art Library collection, New York. She is also a bird ringer with South Notts Ringing Group, which records biometric data of local bird species for conservation purposes.
October, Holly James, 2021 | Image: courtesy of the artist
November, Holly James, 2022 | Image: courtesy of the artist
December, Holly James, 2022 | Image: courtesy of the artist
June, Holly James, 2022 | Image: courtesy of the artist
