Artist Bill Henson is proud to be bringing his photographic exploration of the human experience to the Bendigo Art Gallery.
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Henson said he had developed a relationship with gallery director Karen Quinlan in recent years and when Ms Quinlan saw an exhibition of his most recent works, she approached him about the acquisition.
“These are all new works, this will be the first time they have been seen outside their initial exhibition in Sydney last month,” Henson said.
Eleven of Henson’s pieces will go on display at the gallery and remain in its permanent collection.
Henson said he was interested in the gallery’s commitment to showing a body of work “in depth”.
“The gallery has made the bold and unusual decision to acquire a significant group of works so visitors can experience something similar to my original intention of how the work should be seen,” he said. “I think they have understood and appreciated that, particularly with my work, the images are coming one out of another.
“I have always worked in series and sequences.”
Henson said his new pieces – some landscapes, as well as human figures and faces – continued along a similar path to his prior work.
“I feel as though new work always seems to grow out of work that preceded it,” he said.
Henson’s main interest is the human form and the mystery of human experience. “There’s a strange and fabulous intersection between the interior beneath the skin and what’s outside the world beyond the body,” he said.
So how does this Nietzsche-quoting, world-renowned artist feel about exhibiting in humble little Bendigo? Pretty chuffed actually.
“I think it’s a terrific institution and its gone from strength to strength over the years,” Henson said of the Bendigo Art Gallery.