Until the 12th of March, Singer, Poet and Artist, Keaton Henson is exhibiting a collection of his visual art works at the Lawrence Alkin Gallery in London. Henson’s sell out, debut exhibition, ‘Hithermost’ was held in London in 2013. He then went on to release the stunningly illustrated book of poetry, ‘Idiot Verse’ in 2015. This reflective, melancholic and somewhat dreamlike exhibition is ‘Almost Beautiful’ and its title is reflective of the appearance of Henson’s drawings which is a juxstaposition in itself; delicate and beautiful, yet, interrupted by what appears as signs of frustration or anger. This is similar in Henson’s music also where the softness of his voice is contrasted by the bitterness of the lyrics. This exhibition deals with themes such as heartbreak, anxiety, solitude and self-loathing combined with the almost humorous surreal style that the drawings manifest.
The graphite on paper drawing’s charming appearance is broken with striking finger prints and imprints of leaves in thick poster paint. The pleasing symmetry of the rectangular borders is intruded by intentional mistakes; exhausted and frustrated by the confinement of life or the human condition, he ‘draws outside of the lines’ as would a child that’s yet to be effected by the repression of simply existing. It mirrors the frustration of anxiety; the knowing that you should be doing something but being disturbed by a constant feeling of uneasiness. The dismal monochrome collection is hauntingly alluring; with phrases such as “Grief is believing in endings” painted across the drawings, and the metaphorical symbolism of distressed chest pains in my favourite piece exhibited, ‘The Sleepover’. The morbid appearance of this drawing and the rest of the collection held an almost schiele-esque quality; where the painting is formed by the psychological state of the artist. Its form delves beyond pragmatic representation and into the complexity of the human-psyche. This notion is especially evident in the portrait named ‘Just Watching’ of the eyeless figure, which alludes to the possessive nature of the mind and its capability of occupying ones senses.
This is of course my own interpretation of what I have seen, and I urge you to go see the exhibition yourself before it’s too late. The gallery is tucked away on Compton Street, and its intimacy allows you to really take in the artworks and create your own perception of the drawings.
See the exhibition today, by clicking here.
This is of course my own interpretation of what I have seen, and I urge you to go see the exhibition yourself before it’s too late. The gallery is tucked away on Compton Street, and its intimacy allows you to really take in the artworks and create your own perception of the drawings.
See the exhibition today, by clicking here.