We went to high school with Holden, he was always a mystery, always funny, but most of all always insanely talented. When we met with Holden it had been many years since he had left our high school. We came at sunset, parking outside his house, hearing his dog barking to let him know we had arrived. We spent the evening talking about how he spends each day as we watched planes land and take off from LAX. Holden still remains one of those people who you constantly wonder what they are doing and what may be going on in his head. We hope this interview may show you all what we see in him.

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What is it you make?

Abstract paintings.

When did you start doing the abstract stuff?

Probably around the time of VAPA (the high school where we all met). When I was like printing shirts and stuff. Yeah, I think I left like 11th grade or something like that. Then I just started painting every single day. Printing clothes and everything like that.

So you were doing Somethingism right?

No wait first I was doing enterprise.

Oh, yeah, I actually found your old stickers.

You have one?

I have one on this old weed tin. It's this death one with these people dancing in a circle.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Those are crazy. And then I did Somethingism, and now I think I'm done with that. I'm just gonna do Sit Down And Shut The Fuck Up.

What is that? Where'd you get that title?

It was from the old like military-like slang like SNAFU or like FUBAR. Yeah, it came from something like that. Just trying to make my own.

Word, where are you trying to take this? What would the ideal situation?

I don't really care about the clothes, I'd rather paint to be honest.

So the clothes are kind of a way to make some money so you can paint...

I think it could be.

Who are some favorite painters.

Probably De Kooning, definitely, Pollock. I like some of the newer ones like Eddie Martinez. Mostly those 50s abstract painters.

At VAPA were you mainly photo or painting?

VAPA was right where I started to do painting, then I stopped like taking photos.


All those old school abstract guys they had all the classical training and then they went crazy with the abstract... Did you have any classical training like that?

Nah.

Do you feel like your shits different because of that like, do you feel like you have a different eye because you just went into it?

Yeah, probably. Most people say you should do that first. Most teachers are like “learn all the rules before you break them,” right? But fuck that shit. Tons of artists have done it without any school training at all?

What's important to you? Like in terms of process, color, craft.

(Thinks for a long time) Fuck I don’t know if any of it... I don't know.

You were saying earlier you just kind of go with it.

Yeah, just like start.

Is it sometimes like you wake up in the morning. I want to do it on wood, or I want to do it on cardboard...

That was just like some shit that we ordered, came in some big ass box. Yeah, there was actually this one artist that I saw working on cardboard... I wanted to low key try it.

You know, kind of like Rauschenberg. He went to Puerto Rico and got boxes, I think like Apple crate boxes and then just like took him back to his studio in New York and like glued them all together on the wall.

Yeah or like the goat, know what is that? It was like a painting that he then threw on the floor and put a goat on top of it, stuck the goat in like a tire and like paint on the goat.

How much of it is inspired by Maud(Holden's dog)?

You know she is usually chillin right there waiting for me to take her on a walk or something.