ABOUT

ARTIST information & Bio

STEPHEN HOLMAN is an acclaimed, Anglo-American, artist whose work in fine art, illustration, children's television, comic books and performance art has been exhibited, screened and staged throughout the world.

Artist Stephen Holman at his solo art exhibition at Mortlake Gallery, Seattle.

Throughout his four decade career Holman has constantly mixed, matched and switched artistic mediums, seeking to push and blur the creative boundaries of whatever genre he is working in. His current work focuses on paintings of the underwater world (see AQUATIC ART section) and the generally under-appreciated genre of pet portraiture (see PET PORTRAITS). Both are areas which he feels drawn to, being both emotionally resonant and relatively unexplored in a fine art context. His underwater images are inspired by his 20 years personal experience as a Californian scuba diver, and attempt to capture not only the visual beauty of aquatic lifeforms and underwater landscapes, but also the sensory feelings of being submerged in the powerful forces of the Pacific Ocean.

Holman grew up in the coastal town of Hastings, England in the 1960s and moved to the US in 1984. Highlights from his earlier career include creating animation series for Nickelodeon (LIFE WITH LOOPY/KABLAM!), Warner Bros (PHANTOM INVESTIGATORS) and Disney (THE BITE-SIZED ADVENTURES OF SAM SANDWICH), working as an artist on PEE WEE'S PLAYHOUSE, and directing and co-founding era-defining '80s LA performance art troupe THEATRE CARNIVALE.

Holman's recent artworks and prints can be purchased through the SHOP page on this website or at Dove Biscuit Studio in downtown Los Angeles:

DOVE BISCUIT GALLERY
Mezzanine Level inside The Last Bookstore. 453 S. Spring St, Los Angeles CA 90013
Open Weekends.
Phone: 626 216 6031

ANIMATION WEBSITE:
www.wholesomeproductsfilms.com

RESUME
SOLO ART EXHIBITIONS

2023 Zen Dive, Pasadena
2022 El Segundo Department of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles.
2022 Zen Dive, Pasadena
2020 Lisa Derrick Fine Arts, Los Angeles
2018 Last Bookstore Gallery, Los Angeles
2017 Pop Secret Gallery, Los Angeles
2017 Mortlake Gallery, Seattle
2016 Long Beach Expo Arts Center
2014 Horse Hospital, London, UK
2013 Dove Biscuit Gallery, Los Angeles
2012 Hive Gallery, Los Angeles
2007 Ghettogloss Gallery. Los Angeles.
2007 Remy's On Temple Gallery. Los Angeles.
2006 Track 16 Gallery. - Career Retrospective. Santa Monica, CA.
1994 Morphos Gallery. San Francisco.
1991 EZTV. Los Angeles.
1990 Onyx Gallery. Los Angeles
1989 Bobo Gallery. San Francisco.

GROUP ART EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2019 'The Secret Life of Earth' - American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore USA
2013-2017 'Secret Art of Animators' annual exhibition (co-curator) - Hive Gallery, LA
2014 'Twice-Told Tales' - Flower Pepper Gallery, LA
2013 'Inaugural Exhibition' - Wrong Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
2010 'Vicious Circle' Young Projects, Pacific Design Center, LA
2008 'Dismorphic Visualization Syndrome' - Zero One Gallery, LA.
2008 'Apres Garde' - Gallery 1988, San Francisco
2007 'Body of Art' - J Ferrari Gallery, LA

ANIMATION SERIES (created, designed, written and directed)
2012 'The Bite-Sized Adventures of Sam Sandwich' - Disney Junior
2006 'Dudley and Nestor Do Nothing' - Disney Channel/Shorty McShorts Shorts
2002 'Phantom Investigators' - KidsWB!/Warner Bros/Sony
1996-2000 'Life with Loopy' - Nickelodeon TV/Kablam!
1998 'The Pigeon and the Onion Pie' - independent short
1996 'We are The Shrimpskins!' - Nickelodeon TV
1991 'Joe Normal - MTV/Liquid Television

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2012 - 2023 Visual Arts Advisor, Renaissance Arts Academy, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Artist in Residence, Graphic Design MA course, USC
2018 Advanced Stop-Motion Animation, 15 week course, Calarts, CA
2014 One month course Experimental Animation, CalArts, CA
1991/1992 Performance Art and Comic Book Art courses - San Francisco Art Institute, CA

PERFORMANCE ART (selected highlights)
May 2014. "Art is Not a Business" MOCA, Los Angeles
Sept. 2007. "O Lucky Man!" Ghettogloss Gallery. Los Angeles
Feb 2007. "Memory Cake." Remy's On Temple Gallery. Los Angeles.
Nov. 2006. "Tourism without Tears." Track 16 Gallery. LosAngeles.
Dec. 2005. "Goodbye Normal Genes." Steve Allen Theater. Los Angeles.
1998. "Siam Ultra Love Spectacular". Hosei University. Tokyo.
1992. "Bigg Mess." The Kitchen. NYC (with Johanna Went, Clam Lynch and Tom Murrin).
1992. "Laugh and Be Happy". Tokyo International Theater Festival.
1992 "Torture Chorus" Alchemy Records 10th anniversary Tour of Japan.
1991. "The Grandeur of Falsehood, the Vengeance of Squid." One month run - Marsh Theater. San Francisco.
1990. "Self Obliteration of Human Form Pts 1-3." The Kitchen, NYC , New Langton Arts, San Francisco and Force Nordstrom Gallery, SF.
1990. "Evidence of Love." April in Chaos festival. Fort Mason, San Francisco.
1989. "Lysteria Hysteria." Channel 4 TV, England.
1989. "Breakfast with the Moors Murderers." Franklin Furnace. NYC.
1988. "Peter Pandemonium." LACE. Los Angeles.
1987 - 1990. Co-founder/producer/director "Theatre Carnivale" - performance troupe and venue. Los Angeles.
1987. "Breakfast with the Moors Murderers." LACE. Los Angeles.
1987. Breakfast with the Crowleys." UCLA. Los Angeles.
1986. "Beyond the Valley of the Doors of Perception" (with Andy Somma). Randolph Street Gallery, Chicago and The Lab, San Francisco.
1984. "Torture Chorus." Franklin Furnace. NYC.

BIBLIOGRAPHY (selected highlights)
2016 Stop Motion Magazine "The Legendary Stephen Holman" cover article
2010 'Bunker Vision' Artillery Magazine
2008 'Not just Cartoon... Nicktoons!' - book on the history of Nickelodeon TV.
2008 New York Noise - book documenting 80s NY art scene. Soul Jazz Press.
Nov. 2006. Juxtapoz Magazine (article).
Nov 2006. LA Weekly Theater Pick.
June 2002. LA Times. "Phantom Investigators" series premiere review.
April. 2002. SF Weekly. 10 page cover story by Joel. P. Engardio
Feb. 2000. Paper Magazine (article)
Feb 2000. Soma Magazine "Good Wholesome Fun" article by Steffan Chirazi.
1999. Proof Magazine #1. "In Conversation with Stephen Holman."
1997. Ben is Dead magazine. "Stephen Holman Interviewed."
Nov. 1994. Wired Magazine. "The Bumpy Brothers" by Joe Hutsko.
1994. Art Issues magazine. Morphos Gallery show review by Glen Helfand.
Nov. 1992. New York Post. "4 Times their own Frenzy." Review.
Oct 1992. Music Magazine (Japan). "Torture Chorus live" Review.
Sept 1992. Millimeter Magazine. "8 young animators redraw the lines."
Summer 1992. File 13 Magazine. "Shock Theater, Rabbits, Food and History."
Summer 1992. Ben is Dead magazine. "Torture Chorus" article. Mikki Halpin.
June 1991. San Francisco Guardian. "Bake a Cake for Jesus."
Nov 1990. Paper Magazine. "LA's Artaud" article.
Jan 1990. Paper Magazine. "Killer Comedy." Article by Tom Murrin.
1989. Village Voice. "LA Performance Scene." Harvey Pekar/Paul Mavrides.
Mar. 1988. Art Forum. "Breakfast with the Moors Murderers" review John Howell.
LA Weekly Best of LA award 1987 ("Best Non-Chemical Mind Expansion.")
Dec 1987. LA Weekly. "Dark Carnival". Article/pick of the week.
May 1987 LA Weekly ("Mad about the Ghoul")