By Van Smith
Published in City Paper, Sept. 16, 2009
“We’re all screwed,” is artist Sam Christian Holmes personal motto. While that may be a safe bet for the future, it doesn’t stop Holmes’ artistry–sculpture, print-making, and multi-media works–from ennobling the stories of past and present. Drawing from both community and personal memory, Holmes tends to cast his subjects through a spiritualized prism, creating a sense of greatness out of what otherwise may too easily be seen as mundane or strictly utilitarian. When sculpting bus benches, for instance, he makes thrones, while his gates and fences seem to give a hero’s welcome. He’s got a sense of humor, too–always good for a noon-time lecture.
Van Smith 