James Henkel

Tracey Morgan Gallery is pleased to present our third solo exhibition of photographer James Henkel. Please join us for a Reception for the Artist on Friday, October 4, 6-8PM.

Exploring new interpretations of the time-honored tradition of still life photography, Henkel’s color and black & white images subvert accepted ideas of classical floral art arrangements from both Eastern (Ikebana) and Western stylistic perspectives. A continuation of his ongoing interest in botanical forms, the new work included here shows decaying flowers alongside fresh ones, and weeds alongside cultivated blooms, as Henkel investigates culture’s shifting sense of beauty and the metrics by which that beauty is measured. 

The camera position and general simplicity of framing and point of view that Henkel employs take their cues from the direct approach often used by commercial photographers. However, while Henkel maintains a persistent commitment to aesthetic pleasures, he also embraces melancholia and the disruption of the preciousness of floral still-life imagery, allowing space for humor and the absurd.

James Henkel is Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota. He has exhibited in over one hundred national and international venues, including shows at the Teheran Museum of Contemporary Art, Iran; SFMOMA; and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, among others. His work is in the collections of The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Walker Art Center, SFMOMA, and many others. He has been the recipient of grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Art, the Bush Foundations, the McKnight Foundation and the Minnesota State Arts Board. Henkel lives and works in Asheville and Penland, North Carolina.