BREATHE! Cary Henrie: An Artist For Our Generation

PHOENIX - March 17, 2013 - PRLog -- “Time and Texture” is the title of Cary Henrie’s one-man show at Sedona’s James Ratliff Gallery , Hillside Sedona, 671 State Route 179, Suites A-1 & A-2, Sedona, AZ 86336, debuting Friday, April 5, with an opening reception for the artist from 5-8 PM.  The artist will make a short presentation at 6 PM.  

“People want to buy art of their own generation,” commented Christopher Kingzett at the current European Fine Art Fair.  Clare McAndrew, Founder of the research group, Art Economics, concurred as she reflected on the mood of the private market in a Wall Street Journal article authored by Mary M. Lane on March 16.

Wildly successful in our generation, Henrie is described by Patricia Ratliff and others as a Renaissance man. The artist agrees stating many of his collectors and colleagues use this reference as it evokes a quality ever present in his work:  the memory of a bygone era.

The paintings?  Often framed in composition with a “window” into a scene, semi-abstract landscapes engage the viewer in a contemplative, relaxing fashion.  Perhaps this is one reason why therapists often install Henrie’s paintings in their offices. And, of course, another reason so many people purchase these paintings:  they enable the viewer to breathe!

The technique?  Combined effects of colors, textures, light, layering and subject matter blend to create serenity. The “scene” is not static; viewers continually discover new details when looking yet one more time at a Henrie painting.  This signature is the style or technique the artist consciously developed early in his professional career.  He wanted to create semi-abstract pieces; his intent was not photo realism or illustration of a scene.  Henrie’s art is a world of calm and serenity.

True to his Renaissance lifestyle, Henrie is an inveterate traveler, open to absorbing the smallest detail, for example, in a Zen Japanese gardener’s skillful shaping of a tree.  Henrie’s closeness to nature enables him to provide that portal in his art, that doorway, for viewers to visually pass through his edging technique of cracked surface framing and step out of time and into beauty.

Henrie describes his work as construction and deconstruction.  The duality of Renaissance:  the thrust to move forward with the longing to go back.  Henrie’s work creates transcendence, and in so doing, liberates the viewer’s energy.

Henrie has enhanced “plein air” tradition.  While reflecting his classical training at Pratt Institute, Henrie’s personal signature in art has been tempered and informed by his travels and experiences.  His work is popular among all contemporary groups.  His success bespeaks the identification collectors make with his work.  To enjoy a Henrie painting is to take a moment from the humdrum, stress, and distraction of daily life today and just breathe deeply in renewal of one’s spirit.  Just say, “Ahhh….”

Don’t be confused, though.  Henrie’s work is admittedly ethereal but the artist has a business philosophy that is totally pragmatic!  This is the essence of the 21st century Renaissance man.

For further information about the work of Cary Henrie or the upcoming exhibition in Sedona, contact James or Patricia Ratliff, James Ratliff Gallery, www.jamesratliffgallery.com, phone:  928-282-1404; e-mail:  FineArt@jamesratliffgallery.com.