HiBrow Art Gallery will stay open to the public after hours this Thursday evening, March11th for the first of their 2010 Artist Talks. Artist Kurt Holyoke will be conducting the talk and his topic for the evening will be the materials and methods of Silverpoint/Metalpoint drawing (the act of drawing with metal).
Silverpoint dates back to the earliest history of writing when royalty and wealthy businessmen hired scribes to create records that were etched with a metal stylus of silver or gold on a variety of surfaces painstakingly prepared surfaces. Silverpoint/Metalpoint was later adopted by artists who worked to push the medium to its fullest extent as a means of communicating figurative representation.
During medieval times artists adopted silverpoint for illustrating and the medium was broadly used from the late 14th century through the early 17th century. Renaissance artists such as da Vinci, Raphael, Dürer, Holbein, Rembrandt and Rubens all worked in silverpoint. Although chalk and ink were also available, the fine detail, permanence and lack of transfer to other surfaces made it preferable for the under drawing of paintings and frescoes as well as an illustration technique.
Over time the use of inexpensive graphite and paper replaced metal point as a preferred medium although various artists, including Picasso revived silverpoint drawing in the 18th, 19th early 20th century. Today, only a few hundred artists create work in the medium and Kurt Holyoke is among them.
A native Floridian, Holyoke works and creates art from his Tampa studio that is exhibited both locally and nationally. His work in silverpoint has been widely received and was included in the last major exhibition of Silverpoint in the United States at the Savannah Telfair Museum show, “The Luster of Silver.”
His paintings and drawings have also been displayed in numerous solo, group, and juried shows receiving notice from Richard Vine, Managing Editor of Art in America magazine, and William Zimmer, Art Critic for the New York Times.
Holyoke’s work has been frequently reproduced in newspapers, magazines, brochures and various other publications. As a contributing member of the Outdoor arts Foundation Holyoke has created a number of community art pieces that have been displayed throughout the Tampa Bay area.
An Artist and Art Studio Instructor, Holyoke remains dedicated to providing art and art instruction in the community. He has worked with aspiring artists in shelters, elementary schools, and community colleges throughout the Tampa Bay area teaching drawing, painting, and Tai Chi Chuan.
The Artist’s Talk begins at 4pm with light refreshments and the opportunity to meet other artists whose work is currently on display at the Gallery. Kurt Holyoke will speak from 6-7 with time for questions from the audience.
HiBrow Art Gallery is the initial phase of the Dade City Center for the Arts. Located at 14125 7th Street on Historic Courthouse Square in Downtown Dade City, HiBrow Art Gallery is a not-for-profit venture featuring Florida Artists.
For additional information please contact contact Camille Hernandez at camille@dadecitycenter forthearts.org or by calling 813-713-0124
