signs and symbols

Placed on a Shelf at 89 Greene
Kelsey Henderson

September 6 - October 14, 2023

Opening Reception:
September 6, 2023
6:00-8:00pm

89 Greene at signs and symbols* is delighted to host Kelsey Henderson’s solo presentation, Placed on a Shelf, curated by Kathy Battista for the gallery’s project space. Continuing a series of minimal, yet impactful shows, the presentation at 89 Greene consists of three new works by Henderson. In an era of the endless bombardment of images, Henderson’s exquisitely drawn, intimate works offer a much-needed respite.

Henderson’s practice has recently focused on meticulously drafted charcoal on paper works. In this installation of drawings, the artist employs a deceptively simple palette to present a darker side of collectibles.  Missile, Porcelain Figurine (2023), based on an actual vintage object, points to the precarity and irrationality of world politics. In  Disordered, Porcelain Figure (2023), the artist touches upon the fragility of the human condition, an especially relevant topic post-pandemic, amid an epidemic of mental illness. Henderson’s Car on Fire, Porcelain Figure (2023) balances the tension of a traumatic experience with the surrealism inherent in a memory. In contrast to the intense imagery of the work, the muted peach walls anchor the viewer in a calm, almost domestic setting.

Based on both forgotten found objects and artist-fabricated ones, Henderson’s charcoal drawings investigate objecthood and mementos as vehicles for self-preservation. By enlisting delicate figurines — the reflective surfaces of which confuse the viewer and the viewed — to embody fear, grief and loss, perhaps it is possible not only to co-exist with trauma but also to heal. 

*Please note that all 89 Greene exhibitions are on view at the gallery’s location at 249 East Houston Street; the name of the project is only in reference to Jack Smith's historic address.

kelsey henderson (b. 1982, Massachusetts) lives and works in New York. She received her BFA at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has had solo shows at Envoy Enterprises, New York; Mahan Gallery, Columbus, Ohio; and Red Door Gallery in Providence, Rhode Island. Her work has been featured in several local and international group exhibitions.