I grew up in the State of Maine and have engaged myself in a vast variety of art, religions, and a bit of traveling. I attend school in upstate New York at Hartwick College, and studied ceramics in Jingdezhen China for a semester abroad.
Feel free to contact me via e-mail at maxwellholden@gmail.com
Current Artist Statement:
I have spent nearly three years of my life outside of the
United States, the majority of which in Asia. This exploration has been
educational, in many ways requiring me to ask larger more difficult
questions about humanity. Through living with a diverse group of people who
often formed their own realities based on their beliefs, I found that in order to
fully understand them, I put on a mask to enter and attempt to understand
their situations. As a practicing Buddhist who believes
that there is no "self," this has been a process of leaving some
identity behind and adding new elements in each case. The idea of life as
theatre becomes stronger each day as I struggle with concept of self, yet find
deep meaning in interactions with others.
During my travels, having witnessed a significant
amount of suffering and death– not only in developing nations such as India,
but hunger on the streets of Oneonta– has led me to believe that something very
complicated is happening. Something that surpasses greed: in the surge of
abundance we have lost the practice of worshiping sustenance three times a day
to continue healthy life. What has emerged instead is a throw away culture, “food
pornography” versus intimacy, the loss of cooking skills, and a GMO monoculture
death wish. The ultimate tragedy is the loss in sharing food, meals, and the
celebration of what it means to nourish and be nourished in ways beyond food.
Within my work I look to transform the practice of eating
from a caloric intake to a ritual. I relate most to objects of utility– which
fill, hold, and empty– most as I pass through various experiences in life. I
wish for my ceramics to be what they are, both tools for the celebration of
food, each other, and what we have now– but also to be pieces of art formed by
the careful practice of touch to make surface, color, and form meet my criteria
of aesthetics, which are constructed by my experiences. Thus, I am
creating an abstract self-portrait intended for others to physically interact
with.
EDUCATION
Hartwick
College, Oneonta, NY
B.A.
expected, May 2015, intended majors; Religious Studies and Studio Art
University
of West Virginia, Fall 2013, Jingdezhen, China
Woodenfish
Buddhism in China Program, Summer 2012, Shanghai, China
WORK EXPERIENCE
2013
Instructor,
Portland Pottery
Created and organized programs
ranging from 3 to 14 days in length, taught classes from 3 to 35 elementary students.
Intern, Siem
Van der Ven
Personal intern in potter’s studio.
Aided in studio task, maintenance, and operations.
Residential
Advisor for Hartwick College, 2012-2013
Organized and advertised various programs, disciplinary, monitoring, and
optimizing individual’s experiences.
2012
Art
Instructor for K-12, Interlingua in Guangzhou
Created lesson plans and taught art
to three classes a day, developed sense of foreign culture and suited lessons
to wide range of ages.
Craftsman,
Sea Bags
Aided in the production of recycling
old sails into totes.
High Ropes
Course instructor, Hartwick Challenge Education, 2011-2012
Group managing, facilitating
individual growth in uncomfortable environments.
Pine Lake
Environmental Campus Office Worker, 2011-2012
Customer service, tours, managing events, advertisements, memberships,
and filing.
2011
Farm Hand,
*see below
Completed tasks along all points of
production of farm. Aided in organizing the selling of products (CSA or farm stands/markets).
Solved mechanical problems with equipment and tractors.
*Worked at following farms:
Four Seasons Farm with Elliot
Coleman (Maine), Olivia’s Garden Hydroponic Green House (Maine), Delorme Tomato
Farm (Maine), Eulalia’s Sustainable Farm and Health Food Store (Spain),
Spannoccia Foundation for Sustainable Tourism, Vineyard and Farm (Italy), Sangatya
No Petroleum Ashram (India), Lan Lan’s Farm (China), Akira’s Organic Farm
(Japan).
2010
Guide at
EcoDharma Centre, Catalonia Spain, Fall 2010
Facilitated retreats, cooked for large groups, guided multiple day
trips, and managed supplies.
Skills/Experience:
Culinary
Strong understanding of dietary
needs for vegetarians, vegans, and others, strong nutritional knowledge, experience
with cooking for groups, experience cooking with food delivered from farms. Have
worked at a restaurant, health food store, and farm-to-table dinners.
Clay
Mixing, Glazes, Technical Ceramic Knowledge, and Kiln Proficiencies
Technical skills in mixing clay and
glaze, chemical knowledge, problem solving defected materials, construction
mistakes, and clay related issues. Firing experience with wood, electric, gas,
and a variety of Raku kilns. Ability to create a diverse body of work in the
utilitarian, sculptural, and abstract realms of ceramic arts with wheel and
hand building techniques.
Photography
Experience with both film and
digital, experience with various photo-editing programs including Lightroom 5.
Digital
Media
Operating multiple blogs about art,
culture, and personal. Proficient with Mac and PC operating systems, some HTML
and website creating experience.
Medical/Guiding
Wilderness First Responder (WFR), Life-level
Boy Scout, guided multiple trips in Spain, China, and Maine wilderness.
