Judith Henry: Me as Her

Judith Henry’s work examines celebrity, aging and identity. Visitors to Judith Henry: Me as Her will encounter what on first view appears to be black-and-white portraits of Amy Winehouse, Georgia O’Keefe, Julia Child and Lucille Ball. When viewed more closely, they will notice that the portraits are actually cut out images being used as a mask by the artist. Posing behind the faces of well-known and accomplished women who have died, Judith Henry uses public locations near her Williamsburg, Brooklyn home to stage these portraits. 

Her work raises questions in the viewer’s mind about the friction between our interior and exterior selves. The masks raise our awareness of our shallow understanding of celebrity figures and how little we really know about them despite their familiarity.

Judith Henry: Me as Her, is a solo exhibition of black and white photographs by this artist who chooses to remain hidden or masked within her work. The inclusion of the artist’s hands holding the masks reflects the artist’s aging process, and becomes a meaningful element in each portrait. Her hands allow us to reflect on aging in regards to feminine beauty and our own mortality.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website