If Hobbema Had Seen Ireland 1989

Jeremy Henderson made *If Hobbema Had Seen Ireland* with oils on a square canvas, conjuring a landscape bathed in a cool, atmospheric light. You can almost feel the damp air. I wonder what Henderson was thinking when he swirled those blues and whites together. The paint's not too thick, kind of dreamy, like he’s chasing after a feeling more than a picture. See how the sky eats up most of the canvas? It feels like the weather's the main character here. There's this push and pull between what you can make out – the hint of trees, a horizon line – and what dissolves into the mist. It reminds me of Turner, all that sublime, moody drama. Painters are always riffing off each other, you know? Henderson's taking a stab at capturing something that’s both there and not there, solid and dissolving. That dance with uncertainty, that's what keeps painting alive.