http://www.kelsey-henderson.com/
email: kelsey.henderson@gmail.com

FP: Hi Kelsey! Your portraits are very open and honest. Do you choose your models based on their looks or are do they all have personal connections to you?

KH: It's pretty instinctual when i know i want to paint someone, it's the same feeling that makes you want to look at someone for a moment longer, if someone has caught your eye... it's based on my reaction to an individuals' appearance or their presence which then grows into a desire and infatuation to want to see more. I want to see the details, to want to study the person, to keep looking.

I usually chose people I hardly know, a waitress or a friend of a friend or at times even a stranger... which is in such contrast to the personal connection I end up having with their appearance. Painting someone is a very intimate experience but obviously not on a physical level. By studying the individual, I'm getting to see all the close details that come together to create that person. This gives me a chance to learn so much more about that individual and understand why I'm attracted to them.

Unlike many real life situations, by painting someone, I get to spend time staring at a person. It's a level of closeness and examination that is usually only shared between people who are closely involved. I enjoy having that opposition of distance and intimacy in my works. It's easier for me to portray someone I don't know in one particular way vs a close friend who I connect to on many different levels. I've also learned that it's more difficult and complicated to feel an instinct and sincere reaction to want to paint someone I'm around constantly.

FP: What are qualities that initially draw you to a model?

KH: I have a large interest in skin and especially pale skin tones. Not only because it's what I"m used to from myself, but because I love being able to see below the surface, to get a sense of the veins, or a persons imperfections like scars and bruises or blotchy red marks. Because I'm so pale and translucent myself I suppose that is the self portrait aspect that I highlight in each painting. I look for that same quality in individuals and show them in my perspective.

FP: How do you define beauty?

KH: Beauty can be so many things... but the type of beauty I feel most interested in within and connected to my paintings is the reality of what makes up a person... meaning the structure underneath... the bones, the blood. How fragile and at the same time strong the body is. The skin is so easy to cut, which shows it's delicacy, then the blood clots, showing it's power. When I'm seeing these nuances I call that beauty.

FP: You say that your work is based around the idea of the "platonic crush." There is definitely a feeling of androgyny to your work, is that intentional?

KH: Androgyny is definitely intriguing to me in many ways, primarily I like how it takes the sex out of my attraction to a person. In other words, it's less about my attraction towards a male or female, but to an individual. This also allows me to show a body as just that, taking away a certain heightened and drastic level of male or female sexuality. I feel androgyny overlaps both male and female sexuality and confuses and/or plays with the viewer's attraction to the individual. This creates an provocative perspective to my work. Perhaps, for that reason, androgyny is an easy way to show my platonic crush.

FP: Who was your first platonic crush on?

KH: I don't know that there clearly was a first. It took me some time to figure out the concept... separating a crush from a platonic one. I think it occurred to me when my attraction was not when I wanted to act on my intrigue but examine my interest.

FP: Clothing seems to play a very important part in your work. Do you think fashion is integral to show the personalities of the subjects in your portraits? In other words, how much do you style your subjects?

KH: I'm actually trying to pull away from clothing in my newer paintings. I've realized people become very fixated on what's being worn by the model in the piece, rather then the model his or herself. In the past I usually told the person to wear something that he/she likes, a favorite shirt or outfit. But now I'm starting to become slightly more involved with the styling. Recently I've taken clothes away from my paintings. I am trying to focus on what clothes and accessories add to my painting as well as removing those that take away from the image and person.

FP: Have you been commissioned by designers or editorial magazines to do the portraits? If so, by whom?

KH: In the summer of 2008 I had a great opportunity. I worked with FLY 16x9, creating a short film documentary which presented my paintings and process in collaboration with Christian Dior couture. In that situation I went about my usual process of picking my models and taking photos, the only difference was that the apparel was that of a designer's vs a model's own.


FP: In the very beautiful documentary that Melissa O'Brien shot of you, (http://www.melissacobrien.com/) you shoot your subjects first. Do you ever exhibit your photography, either with or without your paintings?

KH: I haven't. But I'm starting to consider my photography more seriously as a part of my work. Initially when I started, I wanted to use photos that were just OK and then make a great painting out of it... trying to raise the caliber of the image from the source. In time I've started to care more about my photos which I feel in return have made my paintings stronger. Now there are moments when I'm looking through my photos and realized.... "that's a great image, but it's better as a photo then it would be as a painting." I'm starting to see that there's a value for each medium in my work and I'm excited about further developing and showing my photographs in the near future.

FP: Who are your influences?

KH: I always like looking at Jenny Saville, Gerhard Richter, Richard Phillips. When I was younger I loved Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele... which to my surprise people are connecting more to my more recent paintings.

FP: Where is your work evolving to currently? Will you stay with portraiture?

KH: I think I'll always stay with portraiture... it's challenging and I will always have that attraction. People are too fascinating to me not to want to keep looking at them. The way in which my work will evolve feels endless. I've been wanting to pick up my 8mm camera again and film people during the moments between taking their pictures for my paintings. I'm looking forward to including other mediums in my work to expand my passion. I've learned that every medium I can embrace will make my paintings stronger.

FP: Thank you Kelsey!