Hi All, 

 I've curated Noel Hensey's solo exhibition at Peak, London. See more details below. 

 Best, 

 J



PRESS RELEASE


Noel Hensey presents 'Homage', his first U.K. solo exhibition at Peak, London, curated by
Joshua Y'Barbo.

The exhibition is part of 'Distant Peak', Peak's series of shows to mark the closure of their Elephant and Castle premises.

For the installation, Hensey will show two sculptures from his 'Homage' Series. 'Homage' No.1 is an homage to Picasso's 'Self Portrait Facing Death', and No.2 is an homage to Basquiat's 'Untitled Angel'. 

Hensey created 'Homage' No.1 after noticing a similarity between spotlights in a train carriage and the eyes of Picasso's original. As a result, Hensey modified two L.E.D. lights, using a sandblaster, to dilate one profile and increased the penetrative characterisation of the other after the Picasso original. The lights have been mounted on a piece of 5’3” inch high MDF representing Picasso’s physical height.
‘Homage’ No.2 consists of brown paper bag, containing a cardboard wine holder and two bottles of wine. The work represents Hensey’s concern with perception, specifically how the banal objects and encounters we perceive offer us teachings if we are open to them. 

The inspiration for this series is to explore the middle-ground between paying homage to artists of the past work and creating new artistic tradition.







Exhibition opens from 1pm - 7pm Thursday the 30th July and 11am - 7pm Friday the 31st July at
Peak, Unit 340A, Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, London, SE1 6TE, U.K.

For more information, please see:
www.peak-art.org
@peak_london
www.noelhensey.com
@nhensey and
www.joshuaybarbo.com











BIOGRAPHY


Noel Hensey was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1977. He currently lives and works in Co. Kildare, Ireland.
Between 2008 and 2010 he completed a P.G. Dip and a MA in Fine Art both at Chelsea College of Arts, London, U.K.

His art practice is concerned with ’openness’, which could be defined as unobstructed perception or meaning. More precisely; it is a concern with mental openness over physical openness.

The main theme within the work is the perceptive dynamics of encountering found objects and situations whereby the viewer’s habitual semantic/judgmental processes are slowed or stopped.

His practice is multi-disciplinary and includes; installation, photography, sculpture, sound and video.
He uses methods that complement the theoretical framework of the practice including: assemblage; appropriation (specifically re-interpretation and re-contextualisation); using a combination of optical hardware and software along with traditional mediums, interchanging mediums and site-specific work.

The practice is inspired by Buddhist practices and philosophies, and by conceptual and pop art.

His group exhibitions include: ‘Jammed Into A Paradox’, 601 Artspace, New York, 2020; ‘Creekside Open’, A.P.T. Gallery, London and ‘Sa lon Suckers’, Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh, 2019; ‘ARTBOX. PROJECT New York 1.0’, New York and Rua Red (South Dublin Arts Centre), Dublin, 2018; 'Cairde Visual', The Model, Sligo and 'Fields Of Wheat', Transmission, Glasgow, 2017; 'Raw’, Catalyst Arts, Belfast and 'Small…Far Away’, The Molesworth Gallery, Dublin, 2016; ‘Pop Living’, Schwartz Gallery, London, 'ArtVenice Biennale 3', Venice, Italy, ‘Claremorris Open Exhibition’, Co. Mayo, ‘2015; ‘Chelsea College Salon’, CONS Projects, London, 2014; ‘7th Berlin Biennale For Contemporary Art’, Berlin, 2012; ‘Bloomberg New Contemporaries’, Site Gallery and S1 Artspace, Sheffield and the I.C.A., London, 2011; ‘Your Higher Plane Awaits’, Chelsea College, London, Q-Art London’s ‘Presents II’, APT Gallery, London, 2010; 'Invisible Means of Support', The Rochelle School, London, 2009 and ‘6x6xTri Showcase for Ireland’, 411 Galleries, Hangzhou City, Eastlink Gallery, Shanghai and the Chinese Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing, 2005.

His solo exhibitions include: ‘So You’re Going To Die’, Eight Gallery, Dublin, 2017; ‘Miles From Home’, Riverbank Arts Centre, Co. Kildare, 2012; ‘Sick’, Pallas Projects (P.C.P.), Dublin, 2008 and ‘Rollage’, The Ivy House, Dublin, 2004.

Recent shortlisting’s include: the ‘Suki Tea Art Prize’ at the Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, 2019, ‘1000 Residency’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) 2018 and ‘EVA International Biennial’, 2016. In 2020, 2019 and 2016 he received an ‘Arts Act Grant’ from Kildare County Council Arts Service. In 2011 he was shortlisted by Chelsea College for the ‘Red Mansion Art Prize’, was selected for ‘Bloomberg New Contemporaries’ and won the Co. Kildare ‘Emerging Visual Artist Award’. In 2009 he received an ‘Artists and Collectors Bursary’ from Chelsea College, a ‘Special Projects Award’ from Chelsea Arts Club Trust and undertook a three-month residency at Kala Institute, Berkeley, U.S.A.

This year he was selected to undertaking a three-month residency at SomoS Art House, Berlin. The residency will culminate in a solo exhibition at SomoS Art House in December.











WORK IMAGES





1. ‘Homage’ Series
(No.1 After Picasso’s ‘Self Portrait Facing Death’) and (No.2 After Basquiat’s ‘Untitled Angel’),  
2017 – 2019,
No.1: M.D.F. with 2 x L.E.D. Bulbs and Fittings and
No.2: Brown Paper Bag, Cardboard Wine Holder and 2 x Bottles of Wine,
No.1: 160 x 51 x 1.2cms and
No.2: 34 x 23 x 30cms approx.












2. ‘Homage’ No.1 (After Picasso’s ‘Self Portrait Facing Death’) Detail.



3. ‘Homage’ No.2 (After Basquiat’s ‘Untitled Angel’). 












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