Recent Paintings By David Henderson
Image: Hillside Crescent
The core of this exhibition will be made up of around 30 recent paintings, drawings and watercolours by David Henderson. This exhibition will take guest on a journey through some of the most influential locations in Henderson’s life and artistic career. Some of the highlights include plein air views of Venice and Rome, cities in which the artist has for many years spent extended periods living and working. It will also include Australian landscapes and paintings and drawings of the figure.
David Henderson spent his early years on a sheep property near Longreach in central Queensland. His secondary education was in Brisbane, followed by studies in architecture at Queensland University of Technology. He began his career as an artist in 1980, sketching architectural subjects for commission and sale, enabling him to travel to Italy the following year. Soon after, he enrolled as a student at London’s Royal Academy Schools, graduating in 1985.
Henderson believes that to make a successful painting however, it is not necessary to work from subjects famous for their visual appeal. “While just about anything can be the starting point for a painting, the most rewarding subjects are those which on some level engage my imagination. In Rome for instance, it is impossible not to be moved by a sense of the passing of time, and of the unfolding of history. If on the other hand, I paint the light of Queensland I’m confronting my personal history. I have more of a sense of coming to terms with my own experiences and memories”
Until Aug 21. M2 Gallery, 450 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills. Info: www.m2gallery.com.au
