Fetish (2010) by David Holt
A vibrant, energetic original oil painting
Author
Publisher
Printing Details
Painted in 2010, this is an oil on canvas measuring in a simple light wood frame, measuring 32 × 62cm.
A powerful and raw original oil by David Holt, titled Fetish. This work offers a semi-abstract, totemic study of a central pillar—reminiscent of a silver birch—set against a backdrop of searing reds and deep botanical greens. The heavy impasto and energetic brushwork suggest a moment of intense focus, transforming a natural form into a "fetish" object of ritualistic significance.
Notably, the piece appears to have been painted in-situ within its frame; visible overlapping brushstrokes extend onto the wooden batten, tethering the artwork to its housing and showcasing the more expressive, tactile urgency of David Holt’s later career.
Signed, titled and dated by David Holt to the reverse.
Provenance: This painting comes directly from the artist's estate, and the work is offered with full provenance.
David Holt (1928–2014). Born in Hythe, Kent. Painter and Lecturer in Art. After National Service, he trained at the Canterbury School of Art, the Hammersmith School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools where he was awarded a medal for drawing and the Knapping Prize. He joined a studio-workshop with Gerald Holtom (designer of the CND symbol) in 1958 where he designed and produced proscenium curtains for schools. In 1958 he was awarded a Harkness Fellowship and travelled across America, producing many drawings and prints of the Pueblo Indians and their life-dance in Santa Fe in New Mexico, where he also worked with artist Agnes Sims. He returned to England in 1960 and continued to paint and work on large textile appliques for schools, churches, and private houses including Spade House in Kent, the former home of H G Wells.
He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 1962, and in 1964 was commissioned to design and make a large textile applique 'Christ in Majesty' which still hangs in the chapel of Christ Church College in Canterbury.
He was Head of Art at Canterbury Christ Church University until his retirement in 1995. He exhibited widely in the UK and the States and worked with many art societies and summer schools across East Kent.
His work can be found in both private and public collections throughout the UK and America, including the Yale Centre for British Art. His painting "Coastal Watcher" was recently used for the dustwrapper on Modernism and Memory: Rhoda Pritzker and the Art of Collecting (Yale University Press, 2016).
Condition
This painting is in very good condition. There is light wear to the frame, and some little gap to the corners of the frame but still remaining secure.
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Price
£70.00
