Pay attention, only a few more days for When I Looked at You the Light Changed, Jenna Gribbon’s first solo show with Fredericks & Freiser in NYC. Featuring two different subjects, Gribbon discloses intimate scenes of closeness with loved ones, as well as female subjects entangled in the charged act of wrestling, each rendered in characteristic frank, and bold, painterly visual language.
From water scenes to indoor boxing rings, Gribbon's work features an effortless shift between various representational techniques and movements. Her vigorous and expressive brushwork shifts from meticulously illustrated details and swiftly brushed-on surfaces to intentionally slapdash patterns and backgrounds. Each offering expresses the artist's fascination with memory, art history, and contemporary life. Her eclectic brushwork expertly evokes the vagueness of memory, which is accented by unexpected color shifts, exaggerated hues, and a disregard for the rules of perspective.
Going back as far as ancient Greece, the Wrestlers series tackles the trope of grappling figures. By replacing typically bulging men with contemporary semi-nude women, Gribbon questions traditional gender roles while playing with the concealed homoerotic aspects of such works. Confronting the traditional motif with modern-day clothing and setting, the artist proposes a contemporary take on the familiar format. The second body of work provides an unrestricted look inside the artist's most personal moments. From mellow moments with girlfriends to time spent with family and friends, the visual accessibility into her world turns viewers into voyeurs, who just might feel self-conscious about their viewing pleasure. –Sasha Bogojev