Created in 1962, this monumental work, weighing 400 pounds and spanning forty square feet, was once scattered across "Babyland," the Sunshine Coast property Henry shared with artists Michael Morris and Carole Itter. It has been meticulously restored and is presented in its entirety for the first time.
Henry utilized tiles from Vancouver's Fairey & Co. and the False Creek Clay and Brick Works as the base for the mural. The abstract patterns illustrate Henry's innovative approach to ceramics. In the celebrated book "Thrown: British Columbia’s Apprentices of Bernard Leach and their Contemporaries," he recounts how his professor, architect Ron Thom, involved him in a project to create artwork for a specific building during his last year at the Vancouver School of Art, now Emily Carr University of Art & Design. Designed for the Faculty Club at UBC, this was his first hands-on ceramic experience with generous assistance from Robert Weghsteen.
Henry elucidates the intricate fabrication process of these tiles, detailing his application of lead glazes and coloring oxides to achieve engaging abstract patterns that generate unexpected visual relationships. Furthermore, the mural's adaptability is noteworthy; it is currently exhibited in a 5-foot by 8-foot configuration and employs weather-resistant Velcro, facilitating reconfiguration into myriad compositions.
After completing art school, Henry traveled to England in 1963, where he reconnected with his VSA friend and colleague Glenn Lewis. It was Lewis who persuaded him to go to St. Ives, helped him secure living arrangements, and encouraged him to apply for an apprenticeship at the famous Leach Pottery. It was here where he developed his craft under the tutelage of Bernard Leach, a pivotal figure in modern ceramics.