Light and Shadow Photo-Drawings

Nancy Holt
1978
Inkjet print on archival rag paper
19 1/2 x 30 in (49.5 x 76.2 cm)

In this series, Holt shines a light through various curved cutouts and photographs the resulting shapes as they are projected on an opposing wall. In one of many investigations of light, Holt distills the photographic medium to its essence; by referring to the images as “drawings,” she examines the common principles of visual art as a whole. With no recognizable object of reference, the images invite the viewer to observe the interplay of light and shadow and grapple with the process of their own perception.

Writing

Writing by the Artist

Holes of Light

Nancy Holt

1. Concrete vs. Ephemeral

Light, like sight, can be channeled, controlled so that shapes of light can materialize. In Holes of Light these shapes of contained light were outlined on the wall in pencil giving them even more of a physical presence, so that even when the light or sight is absent, a trace remains.

2. Light as the Concretization of Sight

See Also