Lady Lovers (The Secret), 2004 embroidery thread on fabric mounted on wood, 18 x 18 inches Kent Henricksen John Connelly Presents is pleased to announce an exhibition of new work by Kent Henricksen. Using the traditional medium of embroidery Henricksen rewrites stories of the picturesque by sewing such subversive images as hoods, masks, and ropes onto found printed fabrics. Pleasantries depicted in pastoral images in toile or banal romance tapestries inspired by the iconography of Boucher and Fragonard are subverted and undermined by the introduction of these darker elements. Carefree and pleasurable events like playing on a swing or frolicking with a companion take on more foreboding undertones as the characters are literally lashed to the object of their desire or pleasure. Surveying the scenes are various mysterious hooded figures lurking in the landscape, while innocuous farm animals take on lascivious traits as they observe and inspect the action. Henricksen's work plays upon the controversial historical practice of altering artworks to cover genitals and other indecencies according to the prevailing moral climate. It also taps into deep seated personal associations to the hooded figure that re-occur throughout the work (Henricksen himself refers to them variously as the Robber, the Ghost and the Bomber). The hooded figure is a universal symbol appearing in religious iconography and folklore in almost all cultures across many time periods. Our contemporary associations are strong reminders of this symbol's continued relevance. Contemporary personal associations can range anywhere from the parochial Dunce Cap to the photos of hooded Iraqi prisoners in the recent Abu Ghraib prison scandal to the racial hatred and venom embodied by the Ku Klux Klan. "Season of Delight" is partly about about pleasures, both sexual and violent with a little sadism mixed in. It's also about the breakdown of ideals and morals, people covering themselves with hoods and masks making their hidden desires and nightmares come true. The figures and the images come from art history, folktales and current events and Henricksen's playful manipulation of their various historical context blurs their value to the level of a cypher acting out and reflecting our darkest vices, deepest secrets and nastiest fears. Kent Henricksen's work was recently exhibited at The Sculpture Center in Long Island City and Grimm/Rosenfeld Gallery in Munich. He had a solo exhibition at In the Kitchen Art Space in New York in 2004. This will be the artist's second solo show in New York. Exhibition: January 7 - February 12, 2005 Gallery hours: Tue-Sat 11am - 6pm John Connelly Presents 526 West 26th Street, #1003 USA-New York, NY 10001 Telephone +1 212 337 9563 Fax +1 212 337 9613 Email info@johnconnellypresents.com www.johnconnellypresents.com |
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