- Hits: 627
Stephanie Henderson
Place of birth: West Virginia, USA
Black Cat aka Didi: Did you choose, or were you chosen to create artwork?
Stephanie Henderson: I think a lot about the implications of recent quantum theory developments and wonder about my destiny, whether it is predetermined or based on free will. Am I someone else in another dimension? Because my art is always a combination of inspiration and technique, it certainly seems that a hand greater than mine is at work in my paintings. Many things have gone into my identity and I would say I chose to be an artist, but it was also fate. I could have chosen a more lucrative profession, but did not.
B.C.: Tell us about your background…
S.H.: I come from a large family and have four brothers, two sisters, and many wonderful cousins, aunts and Uncles. I grew up on a beautiful swimming and fishing lake and attended Catholic schools. A nun at my high school, Sr. Mary Ignatius, was instrumental in my growth as an artist and painter. I attended the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida and then the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan where I now teach. I am currently in the MFA program at Wayne State University, also in Detroit. I have been married 27 years and have a very talented son, Dylan.
B.C.: Why do you make art? And whom do you make it for?
S.H.: It’s what I do, who I am. It is as much a part of me as my skin and heart are. I paint to express my feelings and thoughts, make sense of my world and to create beauty. I paint every day. I need to paint, just as I need to breathe and eat. I paint for myself, and my paintings have deep meaning for me. I try not to dictate that meaning to others, though, so that those who see my art can bring their own unique story to the work. I hope, in that way, that I am painting for everyone.
B.C.: “Ideal”…How did you come up with the idea for this piece?
S.H.: It was inspired by my trip to Italy and Malta. Many of the churches had reliquaries of saints’ bones and skulls that I felt very connected to and made me feel strange and spiritual. I was going through many other things at the time and my friend’s needle was my muse. Negative capability, dualism, the sacred/profane dichotomy, and the marital contract were in my thoughts.
B.C.: Can you explain the contrast between the skulls and the colorful flower composition in your paintings? Why this choice? And what is the symbolic meaning of the pearls and bugs?
S.H.: Dylan Thomas, his poem “And Death Shall Have No Dominion”, Dia de los Muertos, and the “Floating World”/ “Sorrowful World” binary all influenced this series. I wanted to show the life that exists in death, the unity of all life and death and new life that links the generations, the Tao-philosophy of balance how contrary forces become each other through the constant flow of the universe. So they are celebratory. These are contemporary vanitas paintings inspired by tulip mania, the first recorded speculative bubble peaking in 1637. As today, a whole network of values was thrown into doubt. There is always a lot of symbolism in my work. For example wasps, they rob beehives of honey, they love to eat honey but cannot produce it themselves. Given the opportunity they will steal it. This seems very relevant to our world, yes? Foreign objects introduced into a mussel or oyster creates pearls. Once the oyster accepts the irritation as part of itself, the beautiful pearl begins to develop. I see this as our country, a magical transformation producing unity out of diversity.
B.C.: What are your methods of visualization? How does the process of creating an art object begin?
S.H.: My work is like a diary and I see the paintings in my head. Of course they change and morph as time goes by, becoming richer and more steeped in meaning. I start with a small sketch, take photos or gather my props and dive in.
B.C.: How willing are you to remove yourself from the work?
S.H.: I am not sure how I would do that, is that even possible?
B.C.: As an artist what do you feel the Internet has done for you, both on a positive and negative sense?
S.H.: I think we all are surfing now along this information highway culture jamming. It is liberating and educational, can transform the personal into the universal, but can also be a bit superficial. It provides freedom and a sense of democratization. I have met many wonderful people, such as yourself, whom I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. It is a virtual connector and helps us understand each other better. People still need to engage with each other in real terms though as well as the great outdoors. Standing in front of a painting is very different than seeing the image on the Internet or in a book for example. Because of the huge amount of information available on the Internet we’ve had a crisis in trust and a loss of faith in our belief systems; religious, financial and governmental institutions as well our understanding of space and time, and our own existence and understanding of reality. This is all good and leads to positive changes but temporarily distressing.
B.C.: Where will we see your art in the future?
S.H.: Hopefully in the museum:) In terms of direction I continue to experiment. I continue to play with the idea of illusion and binary oppositions and I’m messing around with materiality. Bread and Circuses is still at play as are my formal concerns.
It has been very nice to meet you!!! And thank you for liking my work!
B.C.: Thanks Stephanie and good work!
