Karli Henneman
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Karli Henneman STATEMENT My mixed media paintings explore the conceptual ideas of self-perception and identity. The vibration of text, colour, texture, and deconstructed imagery leave the eye searching for more. Through my work, I explore my own curiosity not only of the materials, but existence in our time and culture. I appreciate the physical and loose way of applying the abstract acrylic base coat. I work spontaneously, building one layer upon the next. After cutting and collecting a vast supply of eyes, lips, noses, and faces “masks”, I individually gesso each image on to the painted canvas. This detailed and meticulous process of cutting and gluing the images pulls me into a meditative state. Having worked over ten years in the fashion industry, and have my own relationship to the content of the fashion magazines. By deconstructing these images I am able to appropriate the content (and see the glossy pages as a material). I play with this juxtaposition of glamorous fashion magazines alongside with images pulled from Life books and magazines (filled with strong emotional content from history). I hope that the viewer is able to move through my work “finding” things, themselves, and strangers, along a visually stimulating colour and compositional journey. BIO I grew up in Idaho and began working in the fashion industry overseas by the age of 15. I spent my teenage years primarily in Japan, before starting my art education in Paris at Parsons the New School for Design. I transferred my studies to New York and got my BFA from Parsons in Fine Art. During this time, I worked as an intern with fashion designer DVF and installation artist Lisa Hoke. After graduating from school I created an art workshop for children in Rwanda, with Rwanda Works. The mixed media workshops provided the materials for the children to express themselves as individuals through an array of artistic outlets. Upon my arrival back to the United States, I relocated to San Francisco, where I split time between modeling and creating large-scale abstract paintings. After being accepted to NYU’s Art Therapy program I returned to New York City to study again. This element of my life merged art making along with psychology. My current body of work embodies conceptual ideas of self-perception and identity. I pull images from popular culture, and fashion magazines, and vintage images from Life loaded with strong emotional content. By deconstructing faces, I intend to create a shell for the viewers to find themselves in my work. The mixed media collages are created on top of vibrant abstract paintings. The vibration of text, colours, paint, textures, and deconstructed images provide a stimulating visual journey. ARTIST CONTACT [click to email] IMAGES
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