Noel Hensey

‘Homage’ No.2 (After Basquiat’s ‘Untitled Angel’)
2019, brown paper bag, cardboard wine holder, two bottles of wine, approx. 34 x 23 x 30 cm.
Photo: Michael Donnelly, www.michaeldonnellyphotography.com.

“The main theme within my work is the perceptive dynamics of encountering found objects and situations whereby the viewer’s habitual semantic/judgmental processes are slowed or stopped. One such encounter happened in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, where I perceived a head looking directly at me out of one of the park’s trash-cans. The head was in fact a brown paper bag containing a bottle holder with two bottles of beer inside, ‘Homage’ No.2 (After Basquiat’s ‘Untitled Angel’) is inspired by that encounter, underscoring how even the most banal encounters we have can act as teachings if we are open to them. Like Boorujy’s exploration of our interaction with and perception of wildlife, I am interested in our interaction and perception of found objects and situations.”

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George Boorujy

Study of Blackburnian Warbler
2017, ink on paper, 16 x 27 inches.

“I want the viewer to truly see these animals for what they are, to “re-see” them as connected to us. And to see them for what they are on their own terms, and not a pre-set human idea of them. The level of detail is important for a few reasons. It’s a form of devotion and acknowledgement of the subject. Also I hope it slows the viewer down and helps them meditate on the image.” (quote via maakemagazine.com)

Elina Cerla

Ecce Homo: Papageienmensch (Parrotman)
2017, Oil and charcoal on pane, 122 x 190 cm. Photo: Warren King.

“‘Homo sapiens’ has always tried to orchestrate and control its environment, but the ensuing symphony is collapsing upon itself as the ‘thinking beast’ rips away from the fabric of the world. Ecce Homo: Papageienmensch (Parrotman) is part of a series in dialogue with one of the oldest known representational artifacts, Löwenmensch (Lion-Man), maybe a woman, who tells a story of myths and chimerical beings. But this falling parrot is awkward, gawky as it falls, asking you to “behold the man.” Parrotman jumped to mind when I saw Boorujy’s Study of a Blackburnian Warbler. A bird whose habitat is endangered by the result of anthropogenic forces asks us to question our relationship with our environment and the biodiversity we threaten.”    

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