Sean Henry

Sean Henry’s sculptures occupy private and public locations all over the world. Since his first solo show, in London in 1988, he has won a broad international reputation as one of the most talented British artists of his generation Fusing the disciplines of ceramics with those of sculpture to create a fresh, innovative approach to representing the human figure, he has helped to revive the long tradition of polychrome sculpture. Through vigorously expressive modelling, he imbues his figures with a powerful psychological presence, the theme of life and death a constant subtext. After an initial chapter exploring Henry’s background and influences – especially the work of the pioneering American ‘funk ceramicist’ Robert Arneson – Tom Flynn considers the full range of Henry’s work from four different viewpoints, in successive chapters: Technique and Scale; Colour and Realism; Theatricality; and Location and Environment. The book also includes an illustrated catalogue of Henry’s most significant works, a biographical timeline, a list of exhibitions and a bibliography. In recent years Henry has exhibited his work in Britain, America, Australia, Germany, Holland, Italy and Sweden. Current projects range in scale from the intimate relief sculpture Hotel Room to Couple, a 13-metre-high bronze and steel sculpture sited 300 metres out to sea at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland – ritain’s first permanent offshore artwork, launched to great acclaim in August 2007. As Sean Henry’s work continues to grow in popularity, this is a welcome, in-depth analysis of the career, techniques and methods of a unique and talented artist.