Artwork copyright Raymond Holbert. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Interrupted Thought, 1991

Raymond Holbert
(American, born 1945)

Location: Puget Sound Skills Center, Burien

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Interrupted Thought is a drawing by artist Raymond Holbert. It is part of his series of drawings called "The Eyes See, The Mind Interprets." He states, "My architectural experience is obvious in this work and many others from this period because it is used as a foundation of structure and a take off point for the abstractions included here. Because of this approach, there is often a bit of a polarity which exists in the work. The images of the grid is typical of what I use as a kind of representation of space inside of the brain, which is used l for storage organization and recall. This is symbolic due to the unknown and unclear visual appearance of how things are really stored the brain. The grid thus turns out to be a symbolic image of a mental library."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Highline School District.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Raymond Holbert creates mixed media artworks that combine drawing, collage, photography, illustration, and more. His subject matter ranges from a fascination with medicine, science and leisure, to current public dilemmas. Journaling is an important part of his everyday process. He sums it up as “I believe that art is a process that is not part time.” Holbert is a Bay Area artist who is African American.

Holbert was born in Berkeley, California, and received a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Berkeley. He taught art and design and is Professor Emeritus at City College of San Francisco (formerly San Francisco Community College). He is also a consultant of African American art and art history.