Eric Mchenry - Right Turn at Rabbit Road

Praz Delavallade

17 February - 24 March 2023

Public Reception - Friday 17 February 6-8pm

6150 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Writing an intro about Eric McHenry feels impossible. I know him too well. He’s impossibly complex.

When it comes to anything visual, he is my go-to guy. He can do it all. He designed a couple of my books and zines, he has creatively directed some of my favorite projects. But that’s not what I’m here to ‘intro’ about. That is definitely not what defines him. He is an artist. He is multi-faceted and his talents are never-ending. I have so much belief in his artwork and his practice I don’t even know I should be writing this—I’m not worthy. He’s brilliant. His brain works different. He wakes up with a different perspective on the world than the rest of us each and every day.

Oil painting is the newest medium for Mr. McHenry. I hope you can join me in appreciating this creative journey, blossoming into true beauty that should live on walls in houses and eventually museums. If you’re in LA, go see Eric’s new show Right Turn at Rabbit Road. Otherwise, this is one of your many chances to perk your head up and put your ears to the ground on a beautiful mind with so much to put out. Start paying attention.

Is this your first solo show Eric Mchenry?

No, this is my first solo show of oil paintings, though.

Previously your art lent itself to illustration. When did you transition to oil painting?

It’s been a decade of pretty much straight drawing, but in the past year I’ve started assisting an oil painter, and with the techniques I’ve learned there, I‘ve started to paint with oil. I don’t want to say I hit a wall with drawing, but I really needed to change it up, start making etchings or something else, also something more serious. I think oil is that something else. I feel like painting is the final frontier that just never ends. It’s where all of this practice has led. 

Do you think you will continue working with oil paint?

Yes. There’s a lot to explore.

Is there a theme that flows throughout this work that you’re showing?

I wanna say that life is a theme. Life takes on themes and it mimics that, so yes. It’s a theme of imagination. But not purposefully.

Why did you paint all of the gallery walls green?

This might be a bad question because it was not exactly my decision. I completely agreed with the decision. But when Michael (Slenske) came over here, he just had that in his mind immediately. There’s a cabinet sitting behind you; see the green that is on there? I found it on the street. That’s where the color came from.

Where did you make all of these paintings?

Feet from my bed. Feet from where I wake up and go to bed.

Do you think that had an influence on the work itself?

In the scale of the work, yes. Basically, just in scale, I think the subject matter would still be the same. I think if I had the dream studio, these paintings would be much larger. I realized much later on while making this body of work that making smaller paintings is much more difficult than the larger paintings. It gets easier to execute the larger you get. I’ve literally worked my entire life at this scale, so yes, that has lead to this, but I would love to work larger in the future. A smaller painting from me in the future is going to be rare - rarer.

More of a reason to get your hands on one of these now. Where is the show, and how did this all come about?

The show is at Praz Delavallade, a block west of Fairfax on Wilshire. My friend Vanessa got me involved with this flea market art sale in Venice put on by this apparently legendary curator Michael Slenske. We talked a little that day. I actually randomly ran into him at Nino Mier in Hollywood at 11 am a week later, and we scheduled a studio visit. He came by, he saw the work, the few paintings that I had, and he saw a show. He was supportive and believed in it. This was mid-January.

How is the comparison between the social aspect of presenting art and the introversive nature of making the artworks?

I guess it’s the only way it works. It’s a trip, though. I do love to share. Always been a sharer. 

Does it make you nervous?

I have had no nerves making the show.

Is it different from other times you’ve shown art in the past?

Absolutely, but I’m just older now. 

How long is the show on?

It opens this Friday, the 17th, and shows until March 24th, 2023.

Are you just enjoying finishing a body of work, or have you already got plans for what is next?

It feels good to hit print on this body of work. Next, I want to work larger, continue to push the medium and continue to create images.

Do you make images every day?

Without fail.

Follow Mr. McHenry’s every move here.