We are pleased to announce Anagrammatical Bodies, a solo exhibition of new works by London-based artist Holly Hendry, opening April 9th at Toile Blanche Contemporary. The exhibition showcases a powerful, highly-anticipated body of work, presenting a visually complex and intellectually challenging meditation on the human form.
Cyanotypes Redefined: Black, White, and Bodily Forms
Moving decisively beyond the expected Prussian blue, Hendry's cyanotypes in Anagrammatical Bodies are rendered in an impactful, almost austere, black and white. These works possess a compelling visual ambiguity: at once appearing like precise medical x-rays, detailed architectural diagrams, or dismembered pattern pieces, yet retaining a mysterious and deceptively painterly quality. Deceptively delicate, these artworks obsessively arrange and rearrange bodily fragments and cryptic speech bubbles across the surface. Central to this process is the cut-out; a multitude of recurring shapes are intricately reconfigured, so that similar forms surface in various works, creating a field of shifted meaning.
Sculptures in Flux: Anagrammatical Forms
Accompanying the new cyanotypes are two ambitious sculptural works. Forged from an organic-looking combination of glass, metal, and wood, these structures physically manifest Hendry's current theoretical focus: the "anagrammatical body." They present as hybrid forms, constructed from other known bodily parts yet radically reconfigured. Crucially, these sculptures are truly "artworks in flux." At the time of this writing, Hendry is awaiting the final results of the ceramic components from the kiln, meaning the definitive aesthetic—the final configuration and glazes—will be determined at the last possible moment, ensuring a presentation defined by immediacy and creative risk. The provided studio drawings and photos offer a glimpse into their pending form.