Mixing It Up
In what was once an old olive press hidden away in the village of Biot in the south of France, Scottish textile artist Holly Springham now creates her experimental paintings. Taking elements of screen-printing, photography, appliqué, dyeing, drawing and painting, Springham produces paintings that refuse to settle into a single category.
Having originally studied Textiles and Fashion Design Management in the UK, Springham went on travel the world, which she credits as a big influence on her eclectic approach her craft. Settling in France, she found her flow in this highly unusual studio, where she uses a squeegee to layer up colour and pattern on her large-scale canvases, often incorporating textiles to enrich their surfaces.
Springham’s studio is, without a doubt, exceptionally rare. 200 years old, this olive press was refitted only 40 years ago to replace missing or broken parts. Historically, this equipment was once operated by one unfortunate donkey who would turn the moulin and rock plate to press the olives. Thankfully today the sole use of this space is dedicated to creativity. The only one of its kind in the village of Biot, it’s a suitable fit for Springham’s unusual practice, where she continues to push her craft to its limit.
