Since 2011, Holly Holmes has been working with tension between abstraction and representation. The matter of facts, readings or translations of situations and finding elements that resonate with Holmes for many different reasons. In her work it is this marvelment that she passes along to viewers. In Holmes' work there is looping of themes, similarity of forms, patterning of textures and range of colors. This formal and intellectual repetition of motifs and methodologies reverberates throughout.

Holmes is a meticulous chronicler of her experiences. She has started to use a microscope in her works mostly inspired by Rob Dunn, a scientist and author who encourages everyday folks to look at the world around them and become citizen scientists. Holmes is always interested in traveling to new places and revisiting ones that piqued her curiosity. Whilst in these places and travels she now often carries little glassine bags, or empty spice jars to take a finding or sample of the location for later examination with a microscope and sketchbook.

The works in this show have all been created with findings found locally in Michigan and Illinois. Holmes writes “I am often unsure of exactly what I am looking at under the microscope but I am learning and noticing details of the world around me in depicting animal matter, plastic fibers, pollen and findings that just intrigue, filling me with wonder from the perplexity of matter on a micro-scale.

(Extracted from the artists' statement)