Artist Exploration: CJ Henry- Making Hyperrealism Interactive
- Maddie Bridges
- Nov 16, 2023
- 2 min read
I have been following NYC-based Australian artist CJ Henry for some time now, and she never fails to impress me. Working with just colored pencils, Henry approaches items with a playful attitude as she masterfully captures every detail and texture. She pays the most attention to color, most notably in her paint drawings; for every color of paint, she uses around 20 different colors of pencil. Drawing with pencil, she achieves hyperrealism of paint blobs and strokes, designer goods, flowers, celebrities, and more. Resonating most to me, she states, "most artists paint. . . I don't use paint at all. I hate the messiness. . . maybe it's the fact that I don't use it, that I kind of want to reference it in some way." While unconventionally approaching art with the use of meticulous colored pencil use rather than paint, Henry adds a serious awe factor to her art. I too find paint to be too messy, and I like to approach art from a mostly realist perspective, making Henry is a true inspiration.
In more recent years, Henry has implemented interactive portions in her exhibitions, such as bouncy hallways, foam pits, playgrounds, swings, and more. She wants to invoke a sense of childhood, creating a journey from youthful playfulness to maturity in the display of her actual drawings. Her exhibitions serve as a reminder to simply have fun, encouraging all different audiences to enjoy art. I think this is a lesson well learned for me, as I tend to stress too much in my own work and lose sight of the bigger picture.
Overall, Henry is revolutionary in her meticulous craft as well as the inviting nature of her displays. In our digital age, in which it is becoming harder and harder to engage an audience, Henry is truly onto something.
Her website:
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