J.M. Henry uses mixed media, specifically in oil and soot, to paint and draw and then cover or erase to reveal or obscure the imagery on his canvas or paper. His desire is to let the forms and patterns suggest themselves and allow the viewer to take those visual fragments and draw upon their own experiences and associations. A native of Glens Falls, New York, Henry currently lives in Charlottesville, VA.
For some time I have been inclined to cover, erase or besmear representational parts ofmy drawings and paintings and then either uncover them, redo them, or draw over them in an effort to achieve a balance between recognizable imagery and abstraction. Often, these passages are juxtaposed with elements of pattern or repetition that are simlarly obscured or fragmented. Frequent accidents of process occur during my repeated reworking of the surface, and evidence of each transitional state remains, producing a fertile and complex materiality that cannot be obtained by other means. My desire is to let forms and patterns suggest themselves, and allow the viewer to take those visual fragments and draw upon their own experiences and associations. In this way, I want my work to act as a catalyst; in many regards, I intend for it to ask more questions than it answers...
J.M. Henry |
