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About the Artist |
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Background Beric Ross Henderson
Exhibitions2008. Waverly Art Prize exhibition finalist (painting and drawing categories), Bondi, Sydney. 2007. Willoughby Art Prize exhibition finalist (drawing), Chatswood, Sydney. 2007. Prometheus Art Prize exhibition finalist (painting), Gold Coast. 2007. Waverly Art Prize exhibition finalist (drawing), Bondi, Sydney. 2007. Group exhibition, April Mixed Show at The Wallspace Gallery, Surry Hills, Sydney. 2007. Group exhibition, BreastCheque Art Show at Deutscher Menzies, Melbourne. 2006. Solo exhibition "Searching for Enlightenment" at The Wallspace Gallery, Surry Hills, Sydney (21 paintings). 2006. Group exhibition "Originals" at The Wallspace Gallery, Surry Hills, Sydney (five paintings). 2006. Group exhibition, International Art show, Conflux 3, National Museum of Australia, Canberra. 2005. Solo exhibition "Pulp Surrealism" at The Dragon's Lair Gallery, St. George Regional Museum, Sydney (16 paintings and drawings). 2003. Solo exhibition “Twilights and Nocturnes” at Hazelhurst Community Gallery, Sydney (28 drawings and paintings). 2002. Group exhibition, "Southern exposure II" at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Sydney. 1999. Group exhibition at St. George technical college, paintings and drawings.
Press interviews and reviews 2008. Direct Art Magazine (Vol. 15) featuring Sideshow images (in press) 2007. Holograph Magazine issue 4. (a US on-line art and culture magazine, www.holographmagazine.com). 2007. Artist Palette Magazine, Feb. issue 48. Seven page feature article on Beric's work and an illustrated painting demonstration. 2005. The Torch newspaper, Oct. 26th, p.7, "Surreal statements emerge from the night" (interview and story by Jeanette Stephen, photo by Wendy Kimpton). 2005. The Leader newspaper, Oct. 20th, p.61, "Haunted by the surreal and ironic" (interview and story by Kathryn Barton, photo by Jane Dyson). 2005. Australian Artist Magazine, Oct. issue 256. "Pulp surrealism at Hurstville Regional Museum".
Publications 2008. "Untethered" published in Verandah 23 literary art magazine (Deakin University press). 2005. Publication of "Pulp Surrealism and other Visions: The Art of Beric Henderson" December 2005 (24 page full color book printed on heavy art stock paper, Vertigo Vision Ltd Editions). 2005. "Binary" published in Spectrum 12 (Underwood Books, USA). 2005. "Aeronauticus" published in the US magazine Direct Art (Vol. 12, p.57). 2004. “Aeronauticus 2004” selected from almost 4000 submitted works for publication in Spectrum 11: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art. Underwood Books, USA.
Awards 2006. A winning entry in the international juried "Masters of Fantasy" competition with artwork featured in the "Masters of Fantasy Volume 3" interactive CD. 2005. Winner of the graphic logo art competition at St. George Regional Museum in Sydney, for the design and promotion of the Dragon's Lair Art Gallery. Prize was presented by the Mayor of Hurstville.
Art training 1998-1999. Formal tuition in drawing and painting at Southern Sydney technical college (St. George TAFE), with influential instruction by teachers including Geoff Harvey. 1983. Art history and criticism by course work, "Issues and images in 20th century art", University of New South Wales (Australia).
Brief history Beric has spent most of his spare time since childhood drawing, painting, reading and writing. His art skills were fine-tuned with two years of formal art classes in 1998-1999; sufficient instruction to achieve his artistic vision while avoiding art school conformity. Since that time he has painted mostly in acrylics, producing a repertoire of moody and provocative works. He cites Franz Kafka, H.R. Giger, Edward Hopper and Alfred Hitchcock as some of the many influences in his artistic evolution. His art and writing are often ambiguous in nature, but strive to stir the subconscious with imagery that uses light and dark to portray the indescribable or the mysterious. His artwork often borrows from the cinematic influences of film noir to evoke subtle surrealistic landscapes, windows into worlds nostalgic, hypnotic, playful, erotic, disturbing, and provocative. Who could ask for more?
At the Pulp Surrealism exhibition, Sydney 2005
In the Studio, 2006
Some personal comments on paintings. Introspection 2006. I work during the day, always thinking about and jotting down visual ideas for drawings and paintings that I produce at night and weekends. The painting 'Introspection' was one that encapsulated the glamour, depth, ambiguity, sexiness and that perennial conflict between light and dark, that I was striving for. Aeronauticus 2004. An abstract mix of metal wings, propellor and fuselage, this drawing was the second version of a much larger charcoal drawing completed in 2003. An abstracted combination of elements that conveys a story or theme, rich in detail and beautiful in composition (at least in my eyes). The dark element and heavy lines influenced by Giger and by Pollock. The timing of this work was particularly significant as 2003 was the 100th anniversary of the discovery of flight by the Wright brothers. This is a personal favourite and the first of my images to be published. The Lighthouse Mystery 2003. A man falling to his doom. Pushed from the precipice at the top of a lighthouse. And in the dark. All favourite themes of mine for some reason not obvious even to myself. The deep blue in the background, a mix of dark pthalo and cobalt blues, for the inky night sky. The flaming red shirt of the falling man, drawing attention to him like a falling star. The silhouette of a man (the Keeper perhaps?) standing at the railing from where the other man fell. He is the only witness we see, but was he murderer or innocent bystander? Ambiguous, it is part of the mystery, and I certainly am not telling. In fact, as time rolls on I become less certain of the events myself. Why is the church spire lit up, symbolic of a man about to meet his maker? Influenced by Vertigo without question, and a small homage to Hitchcock. Why would anyone paint a picture about a man falling to his death, and expect to sell it? Answer is that while I have sold a lot of works, I don't paint to sell, I paint what I need to paint. No control over it. And I don't see the need to use pretentious jargon to justify why I paint works that are heavily influenced by certain cinematic genres. My penchant for dark art and the use of shadow and light is something I suspect will always weave its way through my paintings.
Who are my favourite artists? I have been collecting art books for many years. The collection is quite diverse, and while living in Switzerland and in England for five years I had access to many originals. I have been heavily influenced psychologically by Giacometti, and have almost everything published about his work. Perhaps I relate to that sense of isolation that he so convincingly expressed. I have books/prints of many contemporary artists, favourites being Mark Ryden, Glenn Barr, Ray Caesar, Chris Foss, Jacek Yerka, Daniel Martin Diaz, Phil Hale, H.R. Giger, Alex Gross, Thomas Ott amongst many others. Who knows, maybe one day someone will collect my work...
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