Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer King.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Painting has been my passion for a long time, as my mother encouraged my artistic talents at a young age. This leads me to study art in college and complete BFA and MFA degrees in studio art. I’m really passionate about visually portraying women in a heroic and powerful way, yet at the same time showing the constraints and struggles women still face in society (including the art world). These ideas have inspired my series of larger than life female figures constrained within the edges of the canvas. I’ve also recently become interested in flipping the male gaze type of painting into a female gaze situation, creating images of attractive men lounging in a still-life type of environment.
I’ve been very lucky to have great experiences through art school, studying under artist Rachel Lachowicz and the Los Angeles Times art critic David Pagel, and through certain opportunities such as working as an artist assistant to the talented painter Justin Bower.
For a while, I also curated art shows in Orange County and Los Angeles, which was a great way to network with other creative minds. I now work as an adjunct professor part-time, while keeping up my art practice in my Santa Ana studio.
Please tell us about your art.
I hope through my work to send a positive message about women, that we do deserve to be treated equally and given equal opportunity to achieve respect and equally paid jobs in society. I enjoy portraying women in painting as heroic, larger than life figures, in positions of power over the viewer, which typically throughout art history men would be portrayed this way while women would be portrayed as sexy, lounging objects, appealing to the male gaze.
My paintings are created with oil paint on canvas, typically ranging between 4 feet and 7 feet tall. I love bright exciting colors, and use them to grab the viewer’s attention. In my opinion, they look best in person, as photographs cannot communicate the large scale of the paintings, which is important to me.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
I think in general there is more competition in the art world now more than ever. There is also clearly an interest in artists who create work that is relevant to current social/political/cultural themes. I think the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds true today, and realizing this was a crucial turning point in my own practice. It not only gave me focus but also helped me feel that I could have a voice, and hopefully keep important conversations alive regarding how we view women in power in our culture.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
For viewing in person, I do participate in shows occasionally and hold open studios once a year, the first Saturday of December at Logan Creative in Santa Ana. To keep updated on upcoming shows, feel free to send me a message either through my website or Instagram and I can add you to my mailing list.
Feel free to message me as well with any inquiries about my work, which can be viewed on my website or Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jenniferkingart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msogdredweary/
Image Credit:
Jennifer King
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