Jenny Morgan

Presentation

I received my BFA from Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in
Denver Colorado, in 2003. After graduation I became represented by Plus
Gallery in Denver, and still have a healthy relationship with the
Denver art community. In 2006 I moved to New York City to attend
School of Visual Arts, and received my MFA in 2008. I am currently
represented by Like the Spice in Brooklyn and I celebrated the release
of my first book in January of 2010. The figure is simply the most compelling
subject matter to me, and with the ebb and flow of my style and maturity, I
find new ways to approach the portrait. It has taken me years to
break through walls that were developed when I was younger; ideals
about the tradition of painting and the preciousness of realism. I am
exploring and "messing up" my realist hand by employing different
methods of disturbing the surface through sanding and glazing. The
traditional composition of the portrait has become a structure for me
to rely on as I abstract and alter the skin and coverings of the body.
My emotional and intuitive responses to each individual I paint guide
the marks and movements I make. The most intensely exciting portraits
for me to paint, as of late, have been the people in my life that I know
personally, but not intimately. If there is a spark of mystery to our
relationship it leaves room for me to explore them on canvas.