Hal Holoun (b. 1939)
Hal Holoun did not set out to be an artist but, when a teacher at
Hastings College introduced him to the creative process, he pursued it
with enthusiasm. Holoun earned a B.A. degree in art from Hastings
College, Hastings, Nebraska, and an M.A. from the University of Wyoming,
Laramie. Today, Holoun makes paintings that are influenced by the rich
tradition of American landscape artists, the painterly innovations of
20th century abstractionists, and a deep understanding of the elemental
forces of nature to which he was exposed as a child. In finding the
balance among those influences, Holoun creates landscapes that reach
beyond simple realism.
Born and raised on a farm in Ord, Nebraska, Holoun lived and painted in
Grand Island, Nebraska for many years. He now calls Bellevue, Nebraska
his home.
About his work, Holoun says, "In what I feel is my best landscape work,
the work goes beyond just rendering my reaction to a local scene –
something spiritual and universal happens. This quality isn't anything I
project or calculate prior to painting. I only know it's there once the
painting is completed, and when that happens, it's as though I wasn't
really involved in the painting; it's more like I was a mirror or some
sort of channel which allowed this image to be formed."
The Museum of Nebraska Art holds 5 works by Hal Holoun.