LKFF Focus on Art - Man in a Room, by Sean Henry

Mijntje Lukoff is proud to present

Man in a Room, by Sean Henry

(text extract of the Essay "The Way it Is" by Ann Elliot)

In a day we may see hundreds of people and all appear different, different from one another, different within themselves, different within changing locations and at different times of day. This is the challenge that engages the figurative artist and few respond to it with such vigor and insight in capturing such fragility as Sean Henry.

Henry's work reflects more than the figure that first triggered his interest. He engages with his subjects and invests layers of thought and reasoning in his work (...)

Some of his works are generic figures, but increasingly he chooses specific characters as a starting point. This may be someone seen in passing, or friends, or people in the street, such as a homeless man he met in London who became the catalyst for a number of Henry's pieces.

"Man in a Room"

In this sculpture, the figure is depicted pausing on the edge of action. He is stationary but tense, his shirt loose and un-tucked, and he appears about to speak, like a frozen frame in a film. Everything signifies an inner life, as if it is possible to unravel a story around this and all of the characters in Henry's works, regardless of the artist's intent.


SEAN HENRY, "Man in a Room", bronze, aluminium, paint, 150 x 150 x 45 cm, ed. of 4, 2010

This wall piece grew from Folly (The Other Self) 2007-2011 shown in Henry's exhibition Conflux at Salisbury Cathedral in the summer of 2011. This sculptural installation of two figures within a form of skeletal pavilion was installed on the Cathedral's north lawn and is his most ambitious work to date. One figure stands gazing outwards; the other lies asleep on a bed. When looking we gradually understand that indeed these are the same man. Folly (The Other Self) was conceived using a sense of theatre as a sculptural device, much evoking the moment of stillness that occurs at the very end of a play. The composition captures the essence of the individual life of someone in a space that does not quite make sense. Everyday objects, the chairs and table, were chosen for their significance to the artist, but they also contribute to the surreal atmosphere surrounding the figures. As the sunlight moves across the open beams of the roof, the movement of light and shadow provides a clear sense of time passing. The work is also about renewal and the restorative power of sleep and dreams.


SEAN HENRY, "Folly (The Other Self)", Installation bronze, steel, wood, polycarbonate, resin and paint,
150 x 150 x 45 cm, ed. of 4, 2010

About Sean Henry:
Born in Woking, England, in 1965, Henry graduated from Bristol Polytechnic in 1987. He had his first solo exhibition in London in 1988 and was visiting artist at the university of California in 1990-1991. He was the first sculptor to win the Villiers David Prize in 1998 and his work is regularly exhibited in throughout Europe and the US.

Henry’s public works include Walking Man in London’s Holland Park (2000) and Man With Potential Selves in the centre of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (2003). In 2007 he completed Couple - the UK’s first permanent offshore sculpture, a critically acclaimed 13m high and 20m wide painted bronze and steel sculpture located 300 meters off the coast of Northumberland, at Newbiggin Bay. In 2008 the headquarters of Standard Chartered Bank in the City of London became the permanent home for a nine-figure installation, located in the building’s main atrium.

Recent exhibitions include Conflux – a solo show in 2011 of twenty polychrome sculptures in and around Salisbury Cathedral that was seen by over 100,000 people during its four month run. Recent additions to his public works include the installation of Standing Man in Stockholm city (2010) and Lying Man at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Michigan, USA (2011). The first comprehensive survey of Sean Henry’s work and career was published in 2008, a 160 page monograph written by Tom Flynn, the London-based art historian. This was followed in 2011 by the publication of Sean Henry: Conflux at Salisbury Cathedral. Henry is married with three children and lives and works in Wiltshire, England.
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PRESENCE - On view until December 22, 2012

Don't miss our current exhibition focused on the human figure in sculpture and featuring original artworks by Jacob Epstein, Sean Henry, Mario Dilitz and Caspar Berger!

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