jenny henley

Feeling nostalgic for your old Game Boy, JVC-M90 boombox or 1984 Mac computer?

Jenny Henley can help. The Atlanta-based mixed-media artist combines photography, painting and imagery from popular American culture to create her unique works.

Artist: Henley grew up in Jacksonville, FL, in a family supportive of the arts. At her high school for the arts, she was exposed to sculpture and photography.

When it came time for college, Henley chose Atlanta College of Art for its sculpture program and faculty.

Once there, she signed up for work-study with the printmaking department, where she studied gum-Arabic and gel-medium transfers, which she would continue using in her work for years to come.

In her senior year, Henley took more of an interest in video and working with plexiglass as a sculptural medium. In 2004, Henley graduated with a BFA in Studio arts with a concentration in sculpture and video.

Company/studio: Jenny Henley Studios started in 2006. The artist maintains two home studios: one in Marietta, GA. The other: Satsuma, FL. Henley will open a new studio this month in the renovated Goat Farm Art Center in West midtown Atlanta.

Art & materials. 2-D wall art, which combines photography and painting with recognizable imagery. ($1,200 to $4,700). Materials include: acrylic paint and varnish on custom-built, gessoed panel substrate and original photography printed in archival pigment ink.

What’s popular now: Images of phone booth and audio works, like JVC, Panasonic, Technics, Akai and Pioneer speakers.

Process:

Starts her extensive online research for the right object or best equipment and technology to purchase and photograph for her work. For instance, her Technics SL-1200 MK7 (silver) is the “gold standard” DJ turntable.
Prints original photographs in archival pigment directly onto a custom-built paneled base layer, or substrate.
Finishes each piece with acrylic paint and varnish making each piece a one-of-a-kind original.

Since the process of creating a piece can take several months, Henley usually works on several pieces at a time.

By the numbers: Henley has bought 25-plus pieces for her artwork. Her highly desirable collection is locked in a temperature-controlled storage facility.

Inspirations:

In high school, artists Jasper Johns and Rauschenberg.
In college, Barbara Kruger, known for using large-scale black and white images overlaid with text, often red.

Commissions: Henley usually declines commissions because of the time it takes to research the technology she will invest in to photograph and for the time (many days) it takes to do a photoshoot.

Recent honors: Exhibiting at many art shows, including:

Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Miami, FL. 2024.
Naples New Year’s Art Fair. Naples, FL. 2023 and 2024.
Lakefront Festival of Art, Milwaukee, WI. 2023.
Saint Louis Art Fair, Clayton, MO. 2023.
Plaza Art Fair, Kansas City, MO. 2023.
Armonk Outdoor Art Show, Armonk, NY. 2023.

Recent project: A new gaming series that includes Nintendo NES, Game Boy and Atari 2600.

What’s new: Moving into a studio and showroom April 1 at the “new” Goat Farm Art Center in West Midtown Atlanta. The center is also the future home of the Museum of Contemporary Art Georgie (MOCA GA).

The historic complex has undergone extensive renovations and added new construction over the past few years.

Where to buy: