The Light Fades but the Gods Remain

Bill Henson

A significant photography publication by Bill Henson, one of Australia’s most extraordinary imaginations.

Over thirty years have passed since Bill Henson made his iconic Untitled 1985/86 series. These mesmerizing photographs cast a hazy procession of people and places in suburbia, interspersed with dreamlike vignettes of Egyptian structures.

Now, Henson revisits his home suburb to create new work. While these photographs return to the same cul-de-sacs as the Untitled series, they show an environment that appears to have slipped out of linear time. Henson’s new images are sumptuous and resplendent in their grandeur, offering a view of what is just down the street, but seems to come from another age. Together, the two series provide a glimpse into Henson’s brilliant mind as he ponders the passing of time.

The Light Fades but the Gods Remain, celebrates an extraordinary artist at two stages in his career. Casting suburbia in an entirely new light, this publication is a captivating meditation on growing up.  

Reviews

Henson's images do not provide easy answers. Rather, they raise questions to ponder.

— PhotoBook Journal

Contributors

Bill Henson

Author

Bill Henson is one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists. Born in Melbourne in 1955, Henson had his first solo exhibition, at the age of 19, at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1975. He has since exhibited extensively in Australia and overseas, including New York, London, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, Montreal, Barcelona, Vienna, and Amsterdam.