THE ART: Jenna Gribbon is 'in the mirror' in the Maramotti Collection

The “ Mirages ” exhibition, the first by the American artist Jenna Gribbon in a European institution, is a corpus of ten works conceived specifically to be exhibited in the Pattern Room of the Maramotti Collection (until 19 February). With a single subject – shaped with vivid colors and sensual brushstrokes – the artist's partner, the musician Mackenzie Scott (Torres).

L'OFFICIEL ITALIA: Can you tell us about the research process for your works?
Jenna Gribbon: I wouldn't say my paintings require “ research ” . I follow the thread of my interests and let the creation of the work lead to the next idea.

LOI: "Mirages" will be the first solo exhibition in a European institution, in the Maramotti Foundation. How did you prepare it?
JG: Since this show is made up of new works, the approach hasn't been much different from that taken for other shows. Essentially, I start. I start to paint, to pursue my ideas. The idea of “ Mirages ” was to explore what it feels like to try to grasp an image, and at the same time the reality of another person.

LOI: How relevant is the concept of voyeurism in your work?
JG: My work is centered on looking at the gaze of others, describing the dynamics of power that are established between the subject, the artist and the spectator. Voyeurism is an element of all this. In general, it is more noticeable in small paintings, because they are stolen from real moments in which I observe mine   mate, and she may or may not be aware of it. The larger paintings have a more consensual starting point, where she consciously fulfills her role as subject.

LOI: Do the colours, the brushstrokes of your paintings represent your state of mind?
JG: No. The obvious brushstrokes serve to draw attention to the fact that the image is mediated by the paint. I like that people retain the feeling that they are looking at a painting, not a person. I always try to highlight the way an image is mediated, whether it's through paint, light – which has an incredible effect on how we interpret an image – a reflection or a lens.

LOI: Is the representation of women in your works also political? If yes, how?
JG: Yes. Painting from the point of view of a woman in an intimate relationship with another woman is political due to the lack of representation of this type of relationship. It is very rare in the history of painting, and even today. But perhaps more importantly, my paintings explore the idea of subjectivity, in a way that hopefully prompts an empathic response from the viewer. The paintings want us to dwell on what the woman (in this case Mackenzie) is passing through to be our subject. It's an effort, I want you to feel the reality of her nakedness and her personality. This is also why I paint her several times, to familiarize the public with her and give her a specificity. The shocking thing is that we still have work to do to convince the world that women are not ideas and are not interchangeable. We still have to fight to convince the world of our humanity.

LOI: Do the clothes in your works have a particular meaning?
JG: The small paintings have a documentary feel and portray moments taken from real life, so Mackenzie usually wears what she's actually wearing in that moment. The large paintings are instead constructions, I have to think about what to make them wear. In general I try to keep the clothing, if any, timeless and genderless. I often portray her in cowboy boots. In many paintings she is in such a vulnerable position as a subject… and it seems to me that having her wear the boots allows her to retain some of her power.

LOI: In your personal life, does clothing play an important role?
JG: I dress the way I paint. For my pleasure. Sometimes that means wearing little so I can feel my skin. And I love dull shields, heavy coats. I use clothes like paint. I think about color, opacity, texture, but ultimately it's a dialogue with the outside world in which I consider what I like to reveal or not reveal about myself. Often this means going incognito, so that rather than drawing attention to me I can observe.