“Action and adaptability create opportunity.” That quote may have been made popular by speaker Garrison Wynn, but it’s something artist Cary Henrie has lived and infused into his approach to creating art for as long as he can remember. And it just so happens that experimentation, innovation and problem solving also feed his soul.
Cary loves exploring new mediums, and being a mixed media artist, his options are nearly endless. His most recent work explores the use of metallic acrylic, lucite, mirrors and even preserved butterflies from the Peruvian Amazon.
“I just really like figuring things out, like the way light hits things,” he said. “I like thinking outside the box, but everything has meaning and makes you feel good.”
Cary’s luminous work, whether mounted on a wall, free-standing or hanging from a ceiling, introduces light, color and even a sense of mystery to every space. The vividly colorful, exotic butterflies, words and images embedded into many of his pieces have a way of drawing you in to explore deeper––and that’s just what Cary is after.
In this interview, Cary shares how he got his start in fine art, how he stays on top of emerging trends and how his journey has progressed.
Q&A with Cary:
When did you know art was your calling?
I started winning [art] contests in elementary school and it continued moving up through elementary school to junior high. I just entered every single art contest I could, and I won just about everything. Even in high school, my senior year, I won $5,000 my and got to meet the governor of the State of Utah. They kind of treated art like a varsity sport in Utah. So you could actually make a lot of money in the contests. Then I got a scholarship to art school.
How has your journey as an artist evolved?
When I was in New York City, I actually did covers for TIME magazine, Sports Illustrated, Reader’s Digest, Business Week, Forbes and others. Kind of like Andy Warhol. He was an illustrator in the beginning. Then I gradually got one-man shows in Soho. I was in New York City for about 20 years. It was a lot of fun, but it got too expensive. So I moved [back to Utah] to a town called Bountiful.
I follow architecture. So, when I first came to Celebration of Fine Art, all the homes were Tuscan and kind of Mediterranean. So I did a lot of that style for a while, but I could gradually see the homes being built by builders we’re going more contemporary––more glass and steel. People were renovating inside, putting brighter walls and cleaner finishes. So my work with the glass and the mirror works perfect. So, I follow current architecture, not something from 10 years ago.
What has been the most meaningful response to your work?
When they [collectors] clap their hands when I install a piece of art. I’ve had a number of people this year say they’ve been looking for five years for a piece and they couldn’t find what they wanted. And to finally see me and have me install it easily for them has been a total delight.
What do you love most about the creative process?
Creating something new. I don’t like doing the same old art. I’m always innovating. Like some of my more recent pieces, they’re on mirror and they’re clear, so the edges show color around them. You see inside. I like working with really, really big things, too. Some of these new pieces are eight feet tall, and they can go horizontal or vertical. I just really like figuring things out, like the way light hits things. Some other new work is up in the air [hanging], so now people can put these above. It’s a new series where you don’t need wall space anymore.
I also love butterflies and decided to create a whole new body of art that incorporates all real butterflies from the Peruvian Amazon. It’s the same material as my other work, but incorporates my hobby of collecting butterflies. And I even created my own furniture––a stand to set these pieces on. So, I really like thinking outside the box, but everything has meaning and makes you feel good.
What brings you back to the Celebration of Fine Art?
I’ve done all the biggest shows across the nation. This is by far my favorite. I get to stay in one place. I don’t set up on the street and there’s a lot of big empty walls that I totally love.
