Tree Calligraphy No.2 2004

Jeremy Henderson made this large painting, Tree Calligraphy No. 2, using muted monochrome colours that feel both delicate and somber. There’s a real sense of process here, the way the image emerges from a kind of haze. The horizontal strokes create a texture almost like water, or perhaps the effect of looking through frosted glass. The tree itself is rendered with thin, scratchy lines, a skeletal presence reaching up into the swirling atmosphere above. Look closely at the base of the tree, see how the roots are not so much painted as scribbled into existence? It’s like Henderson is mapping the hidden life of the tree, the part we don’t normally see. This reminds me of Cy Twombly's work, the way he used line and gesture to evoke a sense of place and memory. Henderson invites us to contemplate the unseen forces that shape our world. It’s more of a question than an answer, and that’s what makes it so compelling.