Living Large
Sculptor creates art on a grand scale

Kentucky-born sculptor John Henry has spent a lifetime creating art on a grand scale and has an international reputation as an outstanding artist. While he now makes his base in Tennessee, he has never strayed far from his Kentucky roots. He counts the honors he’s received in Kentucky among the high points of his career.

“The recent Governors Award from the State of Kentucky is obviously of great importance. It was great to be recognized by my home state,” Henry says. “My honorary doctorate from UK in 1996 was also very important to me. I remember the year not because I received the doctorate but because UK won the national championship in basketball!

A former student of the University of Kentucky and graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, he has exhibited extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Henry has earned an international reputation in his field as an innovative and highly prolific sculptor with a unique vision and style, and his work has become a part of major private and public collections, museums and cities throughout the world.

Though Henry sees his career as a steady progression, he can also name a number of outstanding events. “In the early ’70s, I was the youngest sculptor chosen to participate in the “Sculpture Off the Pedestal” in Grand Rapids Michigan. The opportunity to show alongside Alexander Calder, Mark di Suvero and Kenneth Snelson was a great boost at that time. Later, the installation of my “Illinois Landscape #5” piece at the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park south of Chicago was a great experience; at that time it was one of the largest pieces of contemporary sculpture in the world. The dedication of my piece entitled “Symphonie in Rot” in Hannover, Germany [was] a high point primarily as the work is the final piece to be installed in the “Kunst Mile”. Last year I installed “Tatlin’s Sentinel”, my tallest piece to date at 101’, in St. Louis.”

Creation
Although Henry’s education and early work was in painting, today his art is made to be displayed in the largest venues – often in outdoor exhibit space.

“Scale is usually a function of an effort to relate. If you choose to make art for the public arena or if you want your work to relate to people, the elements that already occupy that landscape make it imperative that you choose an appropriate scale. The size of my pieces is dictated by the kind of placement chosen for them and vice versa. Often I am asked to build a site-specific piece, the scale of the piece is determined by what is appropriate for that site. Also, because of my reputation for creating work for sites where scope and scale are serious considerations, I continue to be called upon for works in that arena.”

Whatever the scale, design or content, Henry is content with his life’s work just as he is content with his life.

“Creating all of my work provides me with a great deal of personal satisfaction, whether I am working within the necessary parameters of a site-specific design problem or have the freedom to explore whatever ideas I am working on.”

Originally from Lexington, Henry has had winter and summer studios in Chicago, Houston, Miami and Kentucky but recently consolidated operations in Chattanooga, Tennessee. “We were looking for a mid-size city in the mid-belt of the country with an industrial base, an art consciousness and easy access to an international airport. Climate and the price of industrial property played a large part in the equation. Chattanooga is one of a few remaining jewels when it comes to small cities in the US. The cultural activities in Chattanooga are equal to cities five times its size and my access to all the materials, supplies and services that I need for building my sculpture are literally a few blocks away.

Touching others
Henry also feels very strongly about supporting the artistic endeavors of others and the development of young artists. Henry has recently served as chairman of the board of the International Sculpture Center, the organization that publishes Sculpture magazine. He is currently the co-chair of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, an organization that supports and encourages the talented young artists in this country and provides the pool from which the Presidential Scholars in the Arts are chosen. He has recently been named Distinguished Professor of Sculpture at Chattanooga State College and is the founding curator of the new "Outdoor Museum of Art" on campus.

“I also want to take part in passing on to younger sculptors the various elements of my life, my life’s experiences that can translate into the future. My work with the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and my affiliation with Chattanooga State College are working to fulfill that goal.”

“Encouragement and support for younger artists are, in my mind, a very critical part of the cultural good health of our nation. Unlike other endeavors in life, the arts, at least initially, do not have the kind of economic base that fosters and helps develop young talent. For visual artists, any kind of economic return is usually years away from a young artist. Encouragement, both spiritual and financial, is critical. I work as hard as I can to ensure that there is a future for young artists and a cultural heritage for our country.

Deanna Mascle is a staff writer for The Lane Report.
editorial@lanereport.com

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