Mark Moore Gallery is pleased to announce Weep and Wonder, an exhibition of seven new paintings from artist Jennifer Nehrbass' most recent series of oval "cameos" in the Project Room.
The paintings from Jennifer Nehrbass' new body of work act as "anti-vignettes," the subjects' faces contrasting sharply to the simple backgrounds, each portrait an unadulterated expression of grief, fear or lust. Far removed from her earlier portraits - where the narratives of her tableaux were so apparent, each canvas capturing a performance rather than a pose – these cameos remove the subject completely, isolating them in pure emotion. Yet rather than presenting the voyeuristic viewer with a contained objectified subject, by embracing the distasteful or challenging - an unflattering tilt of the head, an unfaltering gaze, bloodshot eyes or a running nose - Nehrbass transfers ownership of the image from the admiring audience to the subject herself. Each canvas provides the female protagonist with a space in which to embrace a singular selfish moment, free from preconceived notions of stylized beauty.
These images are sharply psychological, none of them providing a safe or comfortable arena. They take the myths of femininity and turn them inside out. The imaginative construct in which her work exists goes beyond realism. The point of these carefully contrived painting is to demonstrate the forces and situations that define women.
- Suzanne Sbarge
Jennifer Nehrbass received her MA from New York University (New York, NY) before going on to complete her MFA from the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM). She has exhibited her work extensively in her home state of New Mexico, as well as frequently showing in New York and Los Angeles. She has also been included in group shows throughout Europe. Jennifer Nehrbass lives and works in Albuquerque, NM. This will be her second solo show at the Mark Moore Gallery.
For more information regarding this artist or the opening event, please contact the gallery at 310.453.3031, info@markmooregallery.com or www.markmooregallery.com
Upcoming Exhibitions:
Ultrasonic International IV: September 12 - October 10, 2009
Kiel Johnson: October 17 – November 14, 2009