‘Hammer Projects: Joseph Holtzman’ Features Paintings of Prominent Historical and Pop Culture Figures

Sandra Miska

Modern painter Joseph Holtzman, whose portraits depict a multitude of figures from the past and present, from Mary Todd Lincoln to his mother, is the subject of a Hammer Project in Westwood. “Hammer Projects: Joseph Holtzman” is on display at the Hammer Museum until September 20.

Holtzman’s paintings are no ordinary portraits. The Hammer describes his recent work Jane Austen, November 2015.

“Rather than give us an easily legible portrait of Austen or renderings of scenes or subjects from her writings, Holtzman combines figurative and abstract elements, resulting in a colorful panoply of swirling patterns and motifs.”

Holtzman’s process involves taking a piece of slate or marble and applying thin layers of oil paint. He scratches the surface of the stone with a tool to create a luminous effect.

Holtzman, who was born in Baltimore in 1957 and is an interior designer, calls New York home. Eleven years ago, he returned to painting after a 20-year hiatus during which he founded the now defunct magazine Nest: A Quarterly of Interiors. This current exhibit will focus on his works from 2006-2011.

The subjects of Holtzman’s paintings include well-known personalities from history, literature and pop culture, as well as people closer to his heart. In addition to Austin, Mrs. Lincoln and his mother Frieda, Holtzman has depicted his husband, Carl Skoggard; composer Stephen Sondheim; and Robert Offit, Holtzman’s close friend who died of AIDS. Holtzman is known for his unique use of color and patterns.

This current exhibit is Holtzman’s first solo show, and it was previously on display last year at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.

“Hammer Projects: Joseph Holtzman” is on display at the Hammer Museum until September 20.