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ABOUT THE ARTIST Henrietta Paine started off her creative career at Glasgow School of Art in the 1980's, where she studied fine art printmaking. From that point on she decided to paint alongside raising a family. She has exhibited nationally for over 30 years. In 2017 Henrietta went on to study for an MA in Fine Art Painting at Plymouth College of Art, graduating in 2019. This creative period was the platform for a significant change in trajectory, using a figurative arena to explore the concept of human connection. Recent Projects The over all theme of CONNECTION runs through Henrietta's work, be it the inner connection of relationship with self, examined from a metaphysical standpoint, or an outer connection manifesting in our interactions with others and / or with our environment. The subject has become particularly relevant in recent years with regards to Covid-19 and the restrictions this has brought. As a consequence we are becoming more conscious of the nature of connection. During this time Henrietta has been creating small studies based around home life, environment and especially her youngest son and friends, and how the lockdown restrictions have impacted young people. In addition, she has collaborated with Cornwall based artist, Caroline Wilkins in a connection, communication, response project...to be revealed at a later date. Does It Make you Chuckle, Brothers? 2018-2019 Henrietta draws on a homosocial metaphor uncovered in the un-choreographed formation and movement documented during a series of Contact Improvisation workshops, focusing on amplifying momentary negotiations of connection and contact between men. Research has led to theorists and researchers such as Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Sarah Cole, both drawing from a literary context. The former illustrating the implications of how men connect with one another in a homosocial context and how this has translated in history on to their treatment of women. The latter observing the profound implications of world War 1, from recruitment to impact. The subject is examined within a gestural painting language that was, for many years, understood to be a properly masculine preserve, drawing on inspiration from Lee Krasner and Elaine de Kooning. The Tea Room - Factory Settings - Tate Exchange 2018 The Tea Room is an interactive art work created in response to Clare Twomey's Factory Settings. It was created for fictional factory workers as a space to have time out and to specifically reconnect with themselves, through the ritual of tea drinking. Each participant was given a Chinese style cup of top grade Iron Guan Yin tea, grown in the Fujiun Mountains of China. The tea is hand picked from one thousand year old tea bushes and rolled by hand. It has wonderfully uplifting qualities, being recognised for it's chi and is the preferred choice by Zen and Qigong Masters. The object is that all participants and workers feel honoured and valued. Previous and On-going Projects Landscape painting is an on-going exploration for the artist. The Dartmoor landscape became a great source of nourishment and solace when Henrietta moved there, with her family, in 2004. Resulting paintings evolved out of an enquiry into a connection with stillness and simplicity through nature. Scotland holds many first memories for the artist, from early childhood, living in Inverness-shire, along with annual holidays in Lochaber, her paternal homeland. It stands to reason that this magical landscape would also be fuel for the fire. 'Gentle Reminders in Times of Great Change', is a series of images created to remind us of the insubstantial nature and impermanence of all things. Several images touch on the 'Such-ness of life', and how ultimately everything evolves out of nothing. 'Varying Perspectives' takes this exploration further inviting the audience to consider an alternative perception. |