Bill Henson
Bill Henson (* 1955 in Melbourne ) is an Australian photographer . He represented Australia at the 1995 Venice Biennale .
At the age of 19, Bill Henson was able to present his works in his own exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. Since then, his works have been presented regularly in solo and group exhibitions, especially in Australia, but also in many other countries.
The photographs are characterized by the recurring depiction of darkness. Light, twilight and shadow are used as a defining compositional means in both landscape photography and the representation of people. Another topic are young people on the threshold of becoming adults. They are often shown naked or barely clothed. The figures often show androgynous features, the bodies merge with the surrounding darkness, the models rarely look into the camera. The incident lights direct the view to sometimes strange details such as dirt or wounds or make the bodies appear unreal, almost waxen.
Earlier works from the 1980s are often designed as diptychs or triptychs . In more recent exhibitions, the large-format photographs (approx. 120 × 180 cm) are hung in groups or rows, with depictions of landscapes and people alternating and complementing one another, and the way they are put together may surprise and irritate the viewer.
Bill Henson's photographs can be found in all major Australian museums, but they are also included in several permanent collections outside of Australia, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum , New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the MUMOK Vienna.
Exhibitions (selection)
- 1975 Bill Henson, National Gallery of Victoria , Melbourne
- 1981 Bill Henson Photographs, Photographers' Gallery, London
- 1989 Bill Henson photographs, Museum of Modern Art, Palais Liechtenstein, Vienna
- 1990 Bill Henson Photographs, Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris
- 1993 Bill Henson, Tel Aviv Museum of Art
- 1998 Bill Henson, ACP Gallery Peter Schuengel, Salzburg
- 2004 Presence 3: Bill Henson, The Speed Art Museum, Kentucky
- 2006 Bill Henson, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
- 2010 Bill Henson, Inaugural exhibition, 'Artists of the Gallery' Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2013 Bill Henson, The Youth Code !, Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
Illustrated books
- Bill Henson. Mnemosyne: Photographic Works 1974-2004 , Scalo 2005. ISBN 3-03939-003-1
- Lux et Nox , Scalo 2002. ISBN 3-908247-55-1
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Henson, Bill |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Australian photographer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1955 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Melbourne |