Reflections
from the past emerging with the modernist aesthetic into a gestural spectrum
of literal textures, rich sublime color, and a vicissitude of refracting
light...
Whether
it is drinking glasses, candy jars, or Pepsi bottles, I try to capture
the beauty created by light passing through glass. Glass
is the predominate subject of my work. For me the study of glass with
all its various properties presents a challenge. When light enters glass,
it creates a multitude of shapes and forms. I focus on these qualities
in my paintings. The effects of light passing through glass or becoming
trapped within the glass are the elements that fascinate me.
The
majority of the paintings can be read as representational, but upon closer
inspection, they are made up of abstract shapes and forms found in glass
vessels as light is reflected through or trapped within. These shapes
and forms predicate the texture of the canvas, which is also important
in painterly-realism. I concentrate on these shapes and forms connecting
them to the painting. The intensity of the color is kept generally strong
and pure from beginning to end. I use a particular 'mark' or gesture with
the brush thereby giving a textured painterly quality to the canvas surface.
No
drawing or underpainting is used to begin a composition. I paint directly
usually working from the still life not from a photograph. Working from
a photograph, in my opinion, tends to make an artist lazy because all
of the important information the artist needs to 'see' in order to make
decisions concerning the physical space is now on film. In other words,
the artist does not have to work as hard by relying upon a photograph
as a crutch. For this reason, I feel it is important to visualize the
still life in its true physical space and to study the interaction between
this space and the objects that surround it. My compositions are usually
larger-than-life in scale, which involves a physical approach to painting.
I am able to use large gestural strokes using the entire arm, thereby
involving more of myself physically in the painting.
In
terms of a style, my work is a conscience effort at painterly-realism,
and although somewhat successful, I feel the learning process never ceases.
Striving for perfection is not an end goal, but rather a movement from
painting to painting further exploring the idea and concept.
As
the painting evolves, I may rearrange the still life, if it becomes necessary.
I become less reliant on the still life as the painting progresses creating
and inventing other elements, which I introduce into the painting. Objects
are beginning to take on a layered appearance in my larger works. I am
selecting translucent objects that when arranged in front of one another
lead the eye deeper into the space of the picture plane.
There
is a statement of typical American optimism expressed in my work. The
objects depicted become portraits of some of the values we hold dear;
their commonplaceness, familiarity, and the close association we have
with them in recognizable settings. While not ignoring the inherent aesthetic
quality of the work, I do have a fondness for the objects that exude a
compassionate, sensual, virile quality through the literal transcription
of the objects themselves. Therefore, there exists interplay of the metaphor
juxtaposed with the pictorial image.
In
addition to my current work, I sometimes seek diversion from my usual
subject matter, as in "The City At Night." It is a view I have enjoyed
while driving over the high-rise bridge overlooking New Bern, NC. However,
even this painting contains elements found in my representative work such
as the lights reflecting in the water. So, even with new subjects, I attempt
to remain true to my primary interest with reflecting light.
I
have been painting for almost twenty years, and have constantly attempted
to perfect my style. My works have been shown at the Raleigh Contemporary
Gallery, Raleigh, NC, the Rocky Mount Arts Center, RockyMount, NC, and
the Fayetteville Museum of Art's 25th Annual Competition for North Carolina
Artists. For a more complete listing, refer to my resumé.
—
Robert Hennon
Whether
it is drinking glasses, candy jars, or Pepsi bottles, I try to capture
the beauty created by light passing through glass. Glass
is the predominate subject of my work. For me the study of glass with
all its various properties presents a challenge. When light enters glass,
it creates a multitude of shapes and forms. I focus on these qualities
in my paintings. The effects of light passing through glass or becoming
trapped within the glass are the elements that fascinate me.
The
majority of the paintings can be read as representational, but upon closer
inspection, they are made up of abstract shapes and forms found in glass
vessels as light is reflected through or trapped within. These shapes
and forms predicate the texture of the canvas, which is also important
in painterly-realism. I concentrate on these shapes and forms connecting
them to the painting. The intensity of the color is kept generally strong
and pure from beginning to end. I use a particular 'mark' or gesture with
the brush thereby giving a textured painterly quality to the canvas surface.
No
drawing or underpainting is used to begin a composition. I paint directly
usually working from the still life not from a photograph. Working from
a photograph, in my opinion, tends to make an artist lazy because all
of the important information the artist needs to 'see' in order to make
decisions concerning the physical space is now on film. In other words,
the artist does not have to work as hard by relying upon a photograph
as a crutch. For this reason, I feel it is important to visualize the
still life in its true physical space and to study the interaction between
this space and the objects that surround it. My compositions are usually
larger-than-life in scale, which involves a physical approach to painting.
I am able to use large gestural strokes using the entire arm, thereby
involving more of myself physically in the painting. 
In
terms of a style, my work is a conscience effort at painterly-realism,
and although somewhat successful, I feel the learning process never ceases.
Striving for perfection is not an end goal, but rather a movement from
painting to painting further exploring the idea and concept. 
As
the painting evolves, I may rearrange the still life, if it becomes necessary.
I become less reliant on the still life as the painting progresses creating
and inventing other elements, which I introduce into the painting. Objects
are beginning to take on a layered appearance in my larger works. I am
selecting translucent objects that when arranged in front of one another
lead the eye deeper into the space of the picture plane.
There
is a statement of typical American optimism expressed in my work. The
objects depicted become portraits of some of the values we hold dear;
their commonplaceness, familiarity, and the close association we have
with them in recognizable settings. While not ignoring the inherent aesthetic
quality of the work, I do have a fondness for the objects that exude a
compassionate, sensual, virile quality through the literal transcription
of the objects themselves. Therefore, there exists interplay of the metaphor
juxtaposed with the pictorial image.
In
addition to my current work, I sometimes seek diversion from my usual
subject matter, as in "The City At Night." It is a view I have enjoyed
while driving over the high-rise bridge overlooking New Bern, NC. However,
even this painting contains elements found in my representative work such
as the lights reflecting in the water. So, even with new subjects, I attempt
to remain true to my primary interest with reflecting light.
I
have been painting for almost twenty years, and have constantly attempted
to perfect my style. My works have been shown at the Raleigh Contemporary
Gallery, Raleigh, NC, the Rocky Mount Arts Center, RockyMount, NC, and
the Fayetteville Museum of Art's 25th Annual Competition for North Carolina
Artists. For a more complete listing, refer to my resumé.
—
Robert Hennon