Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Lashbrook.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have always wanted to be an artist. That has never wavered. Watching old Christmas video’s I see myself, age three, opening gifts. Despite having a mountain of toys to play with and my Grandma insisting I try all of them, all I wanted to do was sit at my new drawing easel. My parents encouraged my dream and enrolled my in painting classes at age 10 and it was all over.
I was an oil painter in college at North Texas. I would make numerous trips to the hardware store. As I was walking towards lumber, the paint section would always grab my attention. The purposeful organization of color was intriguing to me. When challenged in my Hybrid Forms class to create something besides a painting, I of course started with paint swatches.
They soon became my primary medium. Something about the color names attracted me… I liked collecting the colors… I liked dissecting the image I was working with and breaking it down into distinct values and hues. It’s like I’m creating a schematic of the artist palette. I started by creating realistic works at first, using the paper like I was cutting out brushstrokes. After showing these realistic works, I realized I needed to make it more obvious to the viewer that my works were not made with any paint. I thought by cutting out only squares the viewer would want to investigate what the medium was even sooner. My work is like modern impressionism. Up close the viewer sees a blur of color squares but at a distance, the work becomes strikingly recognizable. This effect can also be exaggerated by using a cell phone to push your focal depth even further away, increasing details even more. Then your brain fills in the dots… or squares in this case, based on your previous experience with the image. Vision also plays a role in how people relate to my art. The blurrier one’s eyesight the clearer the art is. I’ve had battles from patrons about how easily one person vs. another can see the work and have had numerous people in tears when they take their glasses off and can “see for the first time”. Therefore, each patron sees my work differently based on distance, vision and Gestalt psychology.
I have been honored by being highlighted in Forbes’ Artists’ studios and pricing feature in 2015. My work is also on Fox’s Empire Season 3 and on and Netflix’s Beats.
Please tell us about your art.
My art is made of paint chips cut into squares referencing familiar images.
I hand-cut the paint swatches and glue them to a wood panel.
Paint swatches are something many people relate to and recognize. They are recycled. They also work as a reference to the artist’s palette.
I like to play with how much or how little information to give the viewer. Seeing how much information it takes to trigger a response in someone.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My website is jenniferlashbrook.com but seeing it online doesn’t do the work justice. You need to see the squares in full size to appreciate the effect!
I show at Anna Sweet Gallery in Key West Florida, Ginger Fox Gallery in Dallas, TX and JCO’s Art Haus in Los Gatos, CA.
I also participate in art festivals around the country! Check my website for upcoming schedule… Coming up in Florida in 2019 are Coconut Grove Art Festival in Miami, FL, Stuart Art festival in Stuart, FL. and Cornell Museum show in Delray Beach, FL.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jenniferlashbrook.com
- Email: jenniferlashbrook@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @JenLashbrookArt
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