CJ Hendry End Gun Violence Drawing Over New York
Talk About a Statement! Aussie Artist CJ Hendry Sends a 3,000-Foot Message Across America
![What prompted this display?
"Orlando kind of spurred it on a bit quicker but I’m not gonna lie, I wanted to do a gun-related piece for maybe a couple of months. We were planning more of a Kickstarter campaign, it was going to be very well thought out. We were going to have a lot of time to get there. And then the Orlando shootings happened and I decided to just go for it. I was like, 'Holy shit, we’re doing this — no time, no strategy, let’s just go for it.' So it wasn’t how I really wanted to do it but we just pulled something together at the last minute and did something. No, it wasn’t exactly what I wanted but it got the message across. It was good."
What is the message you're trying to send?
"I’ve become strangely patriotic now that I live in New York. Patriotic for Australia! Looking around New York I’m just baffled — baffled — by the fact that this [gun violence] is still a conversation. It’s weird because I’m like an outsider looking in. I’ve never really experienced this problem, I’ve never — thank the Lord — been affected personally by gun violence. I’m just a young, regular girl from Australia, so I probably have no leg to stand on. I’m just like, 'This is very unusual. Why is this happening?'
"I’m not hugely political; I don’t have a political agenda. But I’ve always just drawn pretty things and I’m not about that as much as I used to be. I want to move into different areas and different fields and I want to push myself. I’m lucky to do what I do and I’m lucky to be able to pay the bills. I just think it’s good to do something more."
Why use a T-shirt in the shape of a gun?
"T-shirts are something everyone owns, everyone has one. People from literally all ages and races, from all around the world, can own a T-shirt. I guess it symbolises the fact that people are dying. That people are killing, people are dying — however you want to look at it. It’s pretty much open to interpretation. At the same time, my art, it just doesn’t really require that you know what’s going on. It’s pretty simple! When you look at an image of a T-shirt that’s in the shape of a gun with blood on it . . . I don’t think it leaves too much to the imagination."
What’s the gun violence conversation in America like?
"It’s huge here, I guess because it’s pumped from every angle. I’m like, 'This is a weird conversation.' It’s not weird — it’s very real — but it’s not something we’ve really had to live through in Australia. Also, it’s taken a very political swing as well. [Donald] Trump will run with one way and Hillary [Clinton] will run with another. It’s become a political agenda and a political campaign spin . . . I don’t know. It’s very topical.
"I don’t have a political agenda, I’ve just become weirdly patriotic and [prolonged gun violence] is not something we’ve had to contend with in Australia. We’re lucky. I’m becoming so enlightened here in New York, it's just insanely inspiring. You want to do something more here."
Is activism in art something you want to explore?
"Oh, for sure! Look, I don’t know enough about the art world. That sounds silly, but I do keep pretty well out of it because I think artists start to get put into categories. What I’ve achieved up until now I’m very grateful for, but it’s not necessarily where I want to go in the future. There are things I want to say, there’s more crazy sh*t I want to do, on a much grander scale. I think it’s about progressing naturally. I’m not trying to push anything too hard, I’m just like, 'OK, let’s just do this and go for it and jump to other things.' I’m definitely moving in different directions. I think products of luxury will always be a thing, but I just don’t buy it anymore! I literally don’t. I get around in a T-shirt and tights."
Has the display on the weekend had much feedback?
"It was very much an instant-feedback thing. It’s funny because art is a long, slow game. I’m interested in trying to make art an instantaneous thing that everyone can appreciate. I really don’t like this old, slow game people play, which takes 80,000 years to get to [laughs]. I won’t be around then! Let’s get some sh*t done now. I don’t understand that attitude, I’m like, 'Let’s just do something now while we’re alive.'
"I got really lucky. Art is such a big perception game. I’m very lucky to do what I do, and I think people think I’m a lot better than I am. I’m just here, I’m just a regular b*tch. [Laughs] No, really! I’m not better than anyone else. I’m just very hungry and I’ve got a skill. I can’t really read that well, I’m not that good at spelling . . . But I’m really good at drawing. I’m literally just giving it a go like everyone else."](https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/0iSlmm5hXA4K7JpefyiVasyYla0/160x160/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-:sharpen-!1,0,true!-/2016/06/20/293/n/4852708/af1187ad50c0f5dd_AC4I9204/i/What-prompted-display.jpg "What prompted this display?
\"Orlando kind of spurred it on a bit quicker but I’m not gonna lie, I wanted to do a gun-related piece for maybe a couple of months. We were planning more of a Kickstarter campaign, it was going to be very well thought out. We were going to have a lot of time to get there. And then the Orlando shootings happened and I decided to just go for it. I was like, 'Holy shit, we’re doing this — no time, no strategy, let’s just go for it.' So it wasn’t how I really wanted to do it but we just pulled something together at the last minute and did something. No, it wasn’t exactly what I wanted but it got the message across. It was good.\"
What is the message you're trying to send?
\"I’ve become strangely patriotic now that I live in New York. Patriotic for Australia! Looking around New York I’m just baffled — baffled — by the fact that this [gun violence] is still a conversation. It’s weird because I’m like an outsider looking in. I’ve never really experienced this problem, I’ve never — thank the Lord — been affected personally by gun violence. I’m just a young, regular girl from Australia, so I probably have no leg to stand on. I’m just like, 'This is very unusual. Why is this happening?'
\"I’m not hugely political; I don’t have a political agenda. But I’ve always just drawn pretty things and I’m not about that as much as I used to be. I want to move into different areas and different fields and I want to push myself. I’m lucky to do what I do and I’m lucky to be able to pay the bills. I just think it’s good to do something more.\"
Why use a T-shirt in the shape of a gun?
\"T-shirts are something everyone owns, everyone has one. People from literally all ages and races, from all around the world, can own a T-shirt. I guess it symbolises the fact that people are dying. That people are killing, people are dying — however you want to look at it. It’s pretty much open to interpretation. At the same time, my art, it just doesn’t really require that you know what’s going on. It’s pretty simple! When you look at an image of a T-shirt that’s in the shape of a gun with blood on it . . . I don’t think it leaves too much to the imagination.\"
What’s the gun violence conversation in America like?
\"It’s huge here, I guess because it’s pumped from every angle. I’m like, 'This is a weird conversation.' It’s not weird — it’s very real — but it’s not something we’ve really had to live through in Australia. Also, it’s taken a very political swing as well. [Donald] Trump will run with one way and Hillary [Clinton] will run with another. It’s become a political agenda and a political campaign spin . . . I don’t know. It’s very topical.
\"I don’t have a political agenda, I’ve just become weirdly patriotic and [prolonged gun violence] is not something we’ve had to contend with in Australia. We’re lucky. I’m becoming so enlightened here in New York, it's just insanely inspiring. You want to do something more here.\"
Is activism in art something you want to explore?
\"Oh, for sure! Look, I don’t know enough about the art world. That sounds silly, but I do keep pretty well out of it because I think artists start to get put into categories. What I’ve achieved up until now I’m very grateful for, but it’s not necessarily where I want to go in the future. There are things I want to say, there’s more crazy sh*t I want to do, on a much grander scale. I think it’s about progressing naturally. I’m not trying to push anything too hard, I’m just like, 'OK, let’s just do this and go for it and jump to other things.' I’m definitely moving in different directions. I think products of luxury will always be a thing, but I just don’t buy it anymore! I literally don’t. I get around in a T-shirt and tights.\"
Has the display on the weekend had much feedback?
\"It was very much an instant-feedback thing. It’s funny because art is a long, slow game. I’m interested in trying to make art an instantaneous thing that everyone can appreciate. I really don’t like this old, slow game people play, which takes 80,000 years to get to [laughs]. I won’t be around then! Let’s get some sh*t done now. I don’t understand that attitude, I’m like, 'Let’s just do something now while we’re alive.'
\"I got really lucky. Art is such a big perception game. I’m very lucky to do what I do, and I think people think I’m a lot better than I am. I’m just here, I’m just a regular b*tch. [Laughs] No, really! I’m not better than anyone else. I’m just very hungry and I’ve got a skill. I can’t really read that well, I’m not that good at spelling . . . But I’m really good at drawing. I’m literally just giving it a go like everyone else.\"")
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