Jen Mann..

I was recently tipped off to Jen Mann's work through a press release from Mahan Gallery of the upcoming show Nature Noir. I slipped right into the breathy, smoky paintings of Jen as soon as I saw her first painting, Wolf. I asked Jen to tell me a little bit about her work and process:

"My work comes from my own experienceand understanding of society and how I fit into it. We forget that weare animals, we expect ourselves to not act like one or behave asone. As though we should fit into perfect molds and live up tounrealistic expectations. The series is called 'Fera' which is the Latin origin of the wordferal. It's a personal escape for me. I think artists arecertainly people who feel the pressures to fit into society. But wejust want to be wild."

I should say that Jen followed that quote up with a laugh, which I find totally charming and sincere. You can see more of her work on her website or check out Nature Noir, a group show with Bethany Davis and Lacey Hedtke at Mahan Gallery. Nature Noir opens March 5th.

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The painting below, Two Minutes In Heaven Is Better Than One Minute in Heaven, is part of Jen's series Tandem.