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Published on: 10/11/2008
Last Visited: 11/11/2007
Natasha Henderson
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Natasha Henderson's adroit content and painting technique reminds me of England's current painting phenomena, Jenny Saville, who in her twenties was given a solo show at the Saatchi Gallery and was included in the notorious Sensations show which I was fortunate enough to view in Berlin.
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Painting like Natasha's and Jenny's are pretty rare these days, most artists are concentrating on conceptual work and harnessing new technology.
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Natasha paints prosaic curtains almost shutting out the view through a window.What's so interesting about that?The interest for me lies in two things: the curtains evoke memories of stifling living rooms of my youth that held the pretensions of Louis XIV furnishings, and the desire to rip them open for light, and to see the view.She is laughing at the viewer too, because she knows most people will look at her work and wonder why.The Fiction of Landscape.
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This image, a relic of an earlier time, no longer applies to many painters who work with landscape imagery including the three artists, Pauline Conley, Natasha Henderson, and Tracy Kobus, whose work I will address here.
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Natasha Henderson is a student of the School of Rembrandt with contemporary influence from the painting of Edward Hopper and Eric Fischl.
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Henderson also uses dramatic contrasts of light and dark, and exhibits her painterly skills by using drapery with complicated patterns and forms.The drapery is a nod to history and a contrast to the contemporary plastic toys that appear elsewhere in some of her paintings.She also shows a sense of humour and irony in her corner paintings of drapery.These are shaped canvasses that stretch across a corner of a room thus turning this hard corner into a soft fabric laden space.Henderson says that she works without specific concepts but the work speaks of comfortable domestic scenes imbued with foreboding.In her self portrait, Henderson paints an arm and hand that is attached to a body that exists outside of the frame of the painting.In one sense, it is an obvious reference to the person as a ,painter' but this image seems loaded with a kind of fear.Domestic scenes also suggest comfort, and the colours, patterns, and paintings of domestic animals show Henderson's longing for home.
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Island Mountain Arts in Wells is pleased to announce visual artist Natasha Henderson from Comox, B.C. will be exhibiting oil paintings at the IMA Public Gallery, at 2323 Pooley Street.An opening reception will be held at the Gallery on July 17 at 7 pm.Henderson will be present to speak about her work.Since her serious focus on painting began at age 13, Henderson has developed into a fascinating visual artist exhibiting her work all over British Columbia, with a show coming in February of 2005 in Hamilton, Ontario.Before she earned a bachelor of fine arts in 1998, from Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design, Henderson was already exhibiting her work in group shows at galleries on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.Working with oil paint on canvas or wood, her paintings are dynamic and encourage you to examine your surroundings by developing new perspectives on how you view the world around you.Her personal favorite of the pieces being exhibited at IMA in July is the painting Invention.When she spoke about this piece, the passion she holds towards her art is evident in every word."I just felt that it was something of a breakthrough, in that I really was looking at the message that I crafted in the space," Henderson said.Invention is only one of the many inspired paintings that will be on display at the IMA Public Gallery.To see Natasha Henderson's work and hear her speak more about her paintings, plan to attend the IMA Public Gallery Saturday, July 17, 2004 for the opening reception of Fabricated Views.
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Natasha Henderson's paintings present the viewer with a series of strange contradictions.
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Henderson makes connections between things that seem unlikely, yet one begins to intuit or recognize some meaning in it.Henderson admits to starting her paintings with random brushstrokes, which then help inform the meaning of the completed work.
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Henderson used paint to reveal that which is unseen but perhaps, sensed.
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Approaching one of Natasha Henderson's paintings, in her new show at the Hamilton Artists Inc., is like trying to tell a story by solving the mystery of each object.
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"I prefer to let the images do the talking, I am trying to form and express a visual language," Henderson explains.The images start talking when you allow yourself to start giving them meaning.It is easy to imagine how many different stories could result, as everyone would put their own meanings on each image.The narratives will surely vary from person to person; as for Henderson, she concludes that "the whole is larger than the sum of its parts."A commonality in all her paintings is the reference to the elements.She incorporates an aspect of air, water, earth and fire into each piece.
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Henderson describes. The identifiable images, such as the birds or rubber ducks, falsely lead you to believe there is a reality happening within these works, but they are surreally placed, giving them an abstract zip.It is the placement and organization of these images that can lead to confusion or greater creativity within your own interpretations."I combine structure, pattern, and organization with the unknown and abstraction, chaos.It is a method of making sense in this world," the artist explains.Natasha Henderson flew in from Comox Valley, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia to be the first artist showing in the Hamilton Artists Inc.'s new location at the corner of James St. and Colbourne St. She was educated at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in BC, graduating with a diploma in 1997, she finished off her Bachelor's Degree in 1998.She's been painting since then, but this is the furthest in Canada she has travelled.In a way, embarking on the production of this show is her own adventure."It may seem comfortable and put, together and happy, but there is chaos and tension present amongst and underneath the bright surface elements," Henderson says.These images are like mysteries that call to be solved.Stories are embedded in the layers on meanings, it is your adventure to travel through each image and choose your story.This show is about solving the art, and creating your own visual story.Natasha Henderson at Muir Gallery.
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"Elements of Landscape," a show of new paintings by Natasha Henderson, is currently on display at the Muir Gallery.As one of the most intriguing artists in the Comox Valley, Henderson's show continues to stretch the imagination of both artist and viewer."Elements of Landscape" is a mix of Henderson's trademark large works (3.5' by 5.5') mixed with some smaller paintings measuring a scant seven by 11 inches.Henderson likes to take everyday objects and place them together in unusual settings.There is lots of deep, rich colour and flowing shapes to get lost in.Some of the objects in the paintings are recognizable; others invite the imagination to take over.There are many elements to Henderson's landscape.Fire and flames are a recurring symbol as are goblets, toy cars and cascades of folded fabric.Two of my favorites differ from previous works by Henderson that I've seen.
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Henderson's still lifes bring a fresh perspective to items we often take for granted."Elements of Landscape" continues at the Muir gallery until Sept.24.The gallery is located at 440 Anderton Ave., near the Fifth Street Bridge, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Home|Bio|Gallery|Text Articles|Artist Statement|News|Mailing List|Links|ContactCopyright © 2007, Natasha Henderson.All rights reserved. v1.25. | Administration | Powered by ArtSites.ca
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