Artist Lara Henderson’s Solo Show Impresses - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Artist Lara Henderson’s Solo Show Impresses - Inside Art with Michael Rose

 

Bright colors beckon viewers into AS220’s galleries at 93 Mathewson Street in downtown Providence. The work on view highlights the multi-faceted production of printmaker, book artist, coder, and educator Lara Henderson, whose solo exhibition Bridges is on view through July 27. A maker who focuses on distinct patterns and eye-catching designs, Henderson is an artist to know and her show is a must-see.

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Raised in Foxboro, Henderson has been active in the Rhode Island art scene for over a decade. A resident artist at AS220, she teaches at University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and formerly taught at Brown and RISD as well as at local arts organizations. A graduate of UMass Dartmouth, where she studied Graphic Design and Letterform, Henderson earned an MFA in Book Arts and Printmaking at The University of The Arts in Philadelphia. Her artist books have found their way into prominent collections, including those of the Philadelphia Free Library, Columbia University Library, RISD, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others.

 

 

Teaching is a major element of Henderson’s practice. In addition to work as a university professor, she has also spearheaded dozens of workshops, talks, and panels. She has also made educational materials available on her website and worked closely with peers to make free printmaking and activism workshops accessible locally.

 

Henderson’s solo exhibition is a significant one, spanning both the Project Space and Reading Room Galleries at AS220. In its expansiveness, the show provides viewers the opportunity to really immerse themselves in the work of one of the region’s most dynamic artists and designers. The artworks on view are bold, graphic, and inventive. The show is as appealing for its artfulness as it is for its sense of design and craft.

 

 

Asked what it means to her to be sharing her work at AS220, Henderson answers, “I feel fortunate to show work at home base. This gallery is on the same block as where I print my work, the AS220 Community Studios. This is a community that I have been part of for fifteen years, and it has been instrumental in my development as an artist, a designer, an educator, and a member of a larger community, and I feel fortunate to be showing here.”

 

Henderson’s solo show is at once wide-ranging and tightly considered. There are prints, books, and works on fabric. An installation of printed tee shirts greets visitors when they enter the gallery, and several walls of the Project Space are wallpapered with Henderson’s prints, resulting in a dazzling effect. Beautifully produced books unfurl prints that merge a variety of techniques, including intaglio and silkscreen. The throughlines in the collection of works on view are vivid palettes and sharply graphic designs.

 

 

Speaking of the ways in which being multi-disciplinary impacts her art-making, Henderson says, “When making a new piece, I am asking myself, ‘What medium fits this best?’. Often for me it is a print, a book or a piece of code. I have also been enjoying surface design and fashion a lot as well. There is an immediacy that happens with fashion that doesn't happen with books. Clothing is something out in the world whereas books are often tucked away on a shelf and you just have the memory of what that book looks like in your head.”

 

Henderson is a consummate craftsperson. Looking carefully at the handmade books on view, visitors will find works that are expertly constructed with a keen sense for detail and quality. A bespoke jumpsuit printed in fluorescent pink bears the marks of a skilled tailor, a talent Henderson says she initially picked up from her grandmother and later improved in classes at the West Side Sewing Studio. The artist’s books and textiles alike feature perfect stitches.

 

 

Asked what she hopes viewers take away from seeing her work at AS220, Henderson answers, “I hope for them to get lost for a minute or two, both in the wallpaper installations and in the books. I hope they appreciate the sense of craft and attention to detail. And that they perceive the sense of play as well.”

 

A seemingly tireless artist, Henderson is always at work on something new. Next up, she is headed to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts where she will be Digital Fabrication Artist in Residence. This is her third residency at the school, which is one of the most respected of its kind. Passionate and productive, Henderson is one of Rhode Island’s most talented artists.

 

 

Lara Henderson’s solo exhibition Bridges will be on view in AS220’s Project Space and Reading Room Galleries at 93 Mathewson Street through July 27, 2024. The galleries are open Thursdays - Saturdays from 12-4 pm each day. Learn more about Lara at her website www.larahenderson.com or follow her on Instagram at @makebooks.