Jennifer Nehrbass: Solo Exhibition

OPENING: Friday, May 3rd, 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Lacuna, meaning the space between, will include portraits, landscapes, and sculptures. Nehrbass’s practice of layering explores the multifaceted aspects of identity, place, and the concept of the in-between. This in-between brings us together or separates us; past/present, thoughts/dreams, reality/imagination. All the work in the exhibition has a slight nod to Dadaism, specifically Dada collage, when disparate images come together to create a new image. Nehrbass spends countless hours scouring the internet for the perfect vista for inspiration to create her meticulously painted landscapes. The many layers symbolize ecological layers, layers of history, layers of identity and perception causing an emotive reaction to the landscape. The dreamlike setting evokes a longing for a place of peace that offers a light at the end of the tunnel. The softer lines add a sense of flow alluding to the need to navigate together to have a peaceful outcome for the environment. The portraits in the exhibition most clearly demonstrate the use of layering as a visual metaphor for cultural signifiers and historical markers. In the painting, Rush, the oversized necklace, and hat are symbols of the greed of Manifest Destiny while the shadow line creates a mask alluding to theft. A second painting, Harness, has layers of Hispanic culture and Meso-Ameican imagery referencing the complex histories that has interwoven the Hispanic community throughout the centuries. Made of cast away objects, the sculptures in the exhibition serve as 3D versions of the paintings. Much like the paintings, each carefully balanced sculpture is painted in layers and organizations of color, which bring ordinary objects into the realm of precious.