Sean Henry
Face to face
Sean Henry Limited produce figurative sculptures in painted bronze on a variety of scales , for both public and private clients . The company have permanently sited sculptures in locations as far north as the Arctic Circle in Norway at Svolvaer , Lofoten , and in Arrowtown on the South island of New Zealand .
Artist director Sean Henry says “ I am interested in ideas around identity . About how we perceive each other - and ourselves in relation to others . We are all very adept at reading the human form , and we generally make judgements and decisions about people very rapidly . With most of my sculptures I strive to keep the identity of the sitter anonymous , and to engage with what I call ‘ the psychology of scale ’ by making the sculptures either significantly smaller or larger than life size . These shifts in scale allow space for the imagination , and room for the viewer in terms of what they bring to the encounter with the artworks themselves .”
Art historian Tom Flynn says “ Through vigorously expressive modelling and changes in scale Henry imbues his figures with a powerful psychological presence . His figures confound the historical expectation of figurative monuments , in that they bring an emotional charge that engages rather than belittles the viewer . They do not glorify individuals but rather reflect the striving for connection within humanity , something that is reinforced by the positive responses people have to his work ”
In 2015 Sean Henry was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery in London to create a sculpture of Sir Tim Berners Lee , founder of the World Wide Web , which is currently on display at the museum . Other examples of his public work can be seen at Yorkshire Sculpture Park , Newcastle-Upon-Tyne , Colchester , London , Woking , Oslo , Stockholm , and Bad Homburg in Germany .
Walking Figure 2.3m high , painted bronze . Location : The Hills , Arrowtown , New Zealand ( 2022 )
94 Sean Henry