Untitled

Through his art, Bill Henson engages with his memories of growing up on the fringes of suburban Melbourne, a liminal landscape between a bourgeoning city and the orchards beyond its fringe. In Henson’s photographs this landscape belongs to the listless teenagers who claim it after dark.

Henson’s interest in the ‘in-between’ is expressed in his photographs of young people (captured in the state between childhood and adulthood) and the landscape at dusk. He often photographs his subjects with limited light so they appear to emerge from darkness. Henson’s interest in art history, in particular the European painting tradition, is evident in this work, which employs chiaroscuro – strong contrasts of dark and light – to heighten the sense of mystery of the scene.

Maria Zagala, Associate Curator, Prints, Drawings & Photographs