Simon Hennessey takes an almost forensic approach to constructing his paintings. The key to his work I believe lies in the analysis of his reference material, which for the most part describes the human face. In a similar way to a macro lens, Hennessey manages to record and describe more information than the human eye. By enlarging photographic information on a monitor screen to the point where images begin to pixelate he will begin an editing process of what to clarify and what to remove. By slicing pixels and desaturating colour he begins to take ownership of the material, applying a series of creative decisions which ultimately change the nature of the image. Hennessey is critically aware that only so much can be achieved on a computer screen which is when a stage of written notation takes over, helping him determine how he will translate the raw information of photography into a painted object. Leaving technology behind allows him to consider practical methods of reconstructing an image. An open ended approach to the use of materials allows Hennessey to experiment freely with how to visualise his ideas. Hennessey manages to avoid a sterile approach to his subjects by employing highly inventive methods for their description. Using a heat cutter to make freely made cuts into acetate sheets, he makes masks to spray layers of paints and inks through. Building up layers of information in this way allows for a sympathetic portrayal of his subject, often not present in the original imagery. His most recent paintings have centred on people wearing reflective sunglasses, opening up additional possibilities of spatial exploration. By combining the close up view of an eye and superimposing a reflected landscape suggests potential for ever more complex imagery. from ' British Realism Now' catalogue, written by Nathan Walsh.