ARTHUR HENDERSON: SEX NOT SEX

JUNE 10 - JULY 29, 2016

“The sculptures in VERY’s inaugural show, Sex Not Sex, inhabits the space in much the same way as the patrons at the opening: some sitting, some standing, others propped against the wall. In a gallery that feels more like a family room than a white cube, the work of Arthur Henderson does not simply provoke discussion but quietly joins the conversation. A graduate of MassArt and now based in Connecticut, Henderson makes objects that are perverse, playful, and recognizable, constructed with a slew of different materials that all together nudge us towards the artist’s concern with gender.

Despite drastic variation from piece to piece, a humorous underpinning creates continuity throughout the exhibit. Moments of the show gave a nod to Phillip Guston’s representational paintings but Henderson’s relationship to Guston and to cartooning tend to be more theoretical. In an interview with VERY owner, John Guthrie, Henderson describes cartoons as “a shorthand form of abstraction,” a vehicle that facilitates the communication of narratives and information. More than anything, though, cartoons allow Henderson to push beyond the limitations of realism.”

Excerpt from “Arthur Henderson: Sex Not Sex” by Stace Brandt, published in Big Red & Shiny on August 2, 2016. Click here to read the full review.