Those of us who fell a bit too hard for the all-neutrals trend can sure relate to the artist Cj Hendry, who recently said, "I am new to color, not too sure if I understand it yet." After making a name for herself (and fetching five-digit price tags) with her hyperrealist black-and-white drawings depicting everyday objects such as Lego figurines and boxing gloves, the artist is turning to color—and fearlessly. First, there was a collaboration with Christian Louboutin that debuted at Hong Kong Art Basel last year (think: stiletto pumps made of colorful crayon wax that guests could use to write on the walls). And now, there's her latest exhibit, an immersive experience opening this Thursday in a 22,000-square-foot industrial space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Called MONOCHROME, the exhibit is essentially a seven-room home, each space as if it's been dipped in a bucket of super-saturated, in-your-face color. There is a grass-green kitchen, an orange study, a royal blue living room (with sandbox), a scarlet red dining room with a table covered in shag, and so on. Every single detail reflects the color of the room—so, the fronds of a palm in the living room are royal blue; the walls are built with these oversize Legos—and, depending on where you stand, you'll be able to see from one into the glow of the next.
The artist was inspired by collectors who design their homes around art (rather than the other way around). "I have taken this concept to an extreme level," says Cj. "Each room has been designed to emulate the art on the wall. The art is the focus, everything matches the art." Every colorful room in the exhibit features a three- or four-part series of framed drawings by the artist, the white of the matting and frames the only break in the saturated color. Depicted are crumpled-up Pantone swatches, rendered in lifelike detail, each one matched to a specific tone in the room. You might not decide to go whole-hog on the monochrome room trend after seeing it, but it is time to paint that all-white room? Or at least get some art that can inspire your next color scheme.
Whether you're not sure what to do with color or totally obsessed with it, you should see the exhibit. Go in person this weekend to 276 Greenpoint Ave. in Brooklyn, April 5th through 8th (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
