cj hendry ny opening trendland

CJ Hendry Solo Show opened last night in New York

New York, last night, Australian artist CJ Hendry, known for her hyperrealistic pen on paper drawings and cult social media following, will present he?r latest exhibition, ?The Trophy Room on November 3, 2016 at 79 Greene Street, New York. This exhibition will be her first in New York City.

The Trophy Room is a lesson in icon worship, elevating the easily­ recognizable and highly ­coveted consumerist goods that bring us joy. A self confessed brand coveter, CJ Hendry places her meticulously­ drawn renderings of brand ­name objects on literal pedestals, where they are represented as trophies and presented to viewers as items of worship – a sign of the increasing prominence of today’s cult of consumerism. Continuing the tradition of pure Pop Art style, these icons are bestowed the charm and prestige of Fine Art.

cj hendry ny show

cj hendry ny show

Hendry’s process touches upon our deep, often emotional connections to consumer items in a whimsical way ­ artifacts from our past, objects we exhibit great attachment to, possessions we covet for social status, among others. This consumer cult mentality is personal to Hendry, and drawing these objects is a way for her to process and mask her own vices. This inspection of icons in relation to Hendry represents her lifelong obsession with luxury and otherwise highly­ covetable items.

cj hendry ny opening trendland

In ?The Trophy Room, Hendry takes her infatuation with consumer idolatry to the next level by also creating literal trophies out of easily recognizable, iconic items and dipping them in liquid bronze. A headless Barbie, Beats headphones, an Hermes Birkin bag – these objects have been coated in bronze and placed on concrete pedestals, then photographed and drawn meticulously in black ink. Through this process Hendry simultaneously destroys the original object with precious materials while immortalizing the trophy in ink.

cj hendry ny opening trendland

Inspired by architecture and advertising, Hendry’s fascination oscillates around marketing strategies and brand recognition. In a world where the constant barrage of social media influences informs our every purchase and lifestyle choice, Hendry chooses to both scrutinize and idolize these status symbols. These iconographic objects dictate a fetishism that draws on the accoutrements of naivety and youth under the guise of fashion, the unattainable masquerade of social media perfectionism, and brand marketing and product placement.

cj hendry ny show

Hendry first exploded into the international art scene after presenting Kanye West with a work entitled “Kash Kurrency,” a drawing of West’s face on a crumpled $100­dollar bill. Since then, Hendry has continued to create works centered around luxury goods including crumpled Gucci and Louis Vuitton bag and the notable “50 Foods in 50 Days” series where she portrays singular foods on He?rmes plates.

cj hendry ny show

cj hendry ny show

cj hendry ny show

cj hendry ny show

cj hendry ny show

cj hendry ny show

cj hendry ny show

 

?The Trophy Room on November 3,
2016 at 79 Greene Street,
New York

www.instagram.com/cj_hendry




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