A self-confessed enthusiast for “all art”, Holland is a true renaissance woman, who in a carefully structured 60-minute set showcases a talent not just for stand-up, but also for painting, sculpture, diorama, and Robbie Williams karaoke.
She first confirms her artistic credentials with a quick art history lesson encompassing St Peter’s misshapen foot, worn smooth by the eager hands of centuries of visitors to the eponymous Basilica in Vatican City, and the work of street photographer Philip-Lorca DiCorcia, who was sued by an unwitting subject of his work. Emma strikes an entertaining mix of irreverence and passion, even in discussing questions of ethics around art and exploitation.
From here she talks us through three of her own artworks, each inspired by figures from her past who have wronged her. The stories of these incidents are anchor points in the show’s scaffolding, but are often less memorable than the incidental observations they spark. Holland keeps up a good pace, and some of her funniest jokes are the briefest, dropped casually and left behind almost before you’ve caught them — like her Thoughts of the Week, or a very good bit about paintings done by elephants in zoos.
An accompanying PowerPoint presentation adds visual interest and helps to keep the audience engaged, as does some unthreatening crowd work that feeds into some set-up punchlines.
You might like
Recurring motifs give Don’t Touch My Trinkets a pleasing coherence, without feeling heavy-handed — a running joke with her sound and lighting technician reaches its satisfying conclusion in the show’s finale. She also returns to the idea of the ethics of using other people in your own art, wondering whether her mining of personal vendettas puts her on a level with DiCorcia.
Holland has arranged her trinket collection with an eye for structure and detail. Not every piece shines, but the journey is an enjoyable one, and you’ll have your art horizons broadened along the way.
Emma Holland – Don’t Touch My Trinkets is playing at the Hetzel Room at State Library until 2 March
Read more 2025 Adelaide Fringe coverage here on InReview