HENRY GLOVER
I focus heavily on romantic folklore references because I like to think that it’s quite universal. I think everyone can draw something from that reference. There is something beautiful about being able to express a shared story or allegory.
- Henry Glover
Liliya Art Gallery is pleased to present Take Me Somewhere Nice, a new body of work by Henry Glover.
In his paintings and ceramics, Glover transcends the boundaries of his chosen media, working in harmony to reveal a deep awareness, both intellectually and sensitively, of how important tactility and relationships are to the human experience.
Take Me Somewhere Nice presents a body of work created almost entirely during a period of social and physical isolation. As such, it embodies the complex emotions of loneliness and desire that have been exacerbated by the recent global health crisis. Glover’s act of transforming these experiences into images and objects serves as a mirror for the viewer, allowing us to reflect upon our own responses to the global environment.
Glover’s ceramic practice is process-led. For Glover, the experience of having a corporeal, non-linguistic dialogue with the clay is as important as the final product. The dynamic relationship between maker and material, as illustrated by wheel throwing and the skilful engagement with the clay, signals an emotional and intimate involvement with each object.
Drawing on the intimate relationship between movement and emotion, Glover’s ceramics promote an open-ended manner of experiencing the works. Connectedness with the material is encouraged, and at times, the viewer is invited to interact directly with the ceramics; to touch and feel where the clay has been manipulated, and to approach it as a partner in conversation. Through the extreme malleability of the material, Glover’s ceramics have the unusual ability to retain memory and speak to the viewer directly.
This intimate relationship with the viewer is furthered in Glover’s painting practice. Dedicated to closeness in all its guises – from the romantic and the platonic, to the physical and the imagined, Glover’s paintings are centred around representing the realm of the private and intimate. A realm that is usually kept hidden from others, accessed only by one’s very closest circle, it is beautifully exposed by Glover’s brush. As we immerse ourselves in the intimate exchanges that are both real and imagined, we can almost hear ourselves whispering the soft, sweet words Take Me Somewhere Nice.
Taking Glover’s work Dream House, for example – a beautiful woodland scene filled with a myriad of colours depicting a young woman asleep on a shimmering white bed, still and silent. The work feels private and contemplative, it informs us that our presence is inappropriate and disruptive. We might breathe too loud, causing the woman to awake. The innate fragility and intense focus in the work lends an air of romance and beauty. Take Me Somewhere Nice captures the moment exactly.