jen rose: the unnameable monster of the american psyche

Exhibit on view:

September 29 - November 5, 2022

Artist Talk:

Thursday September 29, 5:30pm to 6:30pm

Artist Reception:

Thursday September 29, 6:30pm to 8:30pm

The Gallery is open:

Thursday through Saturday, 11:00am to 5:00pm

Other times by appointment using our scheduling tool.

You can also book an appointment by calling 512-937-5921, or emailing Laura@camibagallery.com.

Location:

6448 Hwy 290 E., Suite A102, Austin, TX 78723

Camiba Gallery presents a new generation of monsters by Dallas-based artist Jen Rose.

Monsters Monsters Everywhere! Like a mad scientist, artist Jen Rose continues to assemble her monsters with materials such as nylon cord and hand-made porcelain, but she is also exploring materials such as ratan, foam, cactus fiber, gold luster, platinum luster, and a patent pending glow glaze. Plus she is experimenting with scale, creating monsters that range in size from a room-filling 8 feet tall, to a species of tiny monsters that measure barely 5 inches long.

Three-dimensional and capable of being manipulated into different forms, these monsters are like objects in a museum of curiosities—they have an offbeat beauty to them that is hard to describe. Alien and familiar at the same time; instinctively we want to investigate more. Charming, but also a bit odd, they are like the ugly duckling that you fall in love with and want to take home and nurture.

Reflecting on this exhibit, Jen Rose says,

“This work captures the fear we feel of the unknown, but the relief, understanding and respect that comes with further investigation. It is about being comfortable with the uncomfortable . . . to consider new ideas or perspectives without emotion or repulsion.”

About the artist:

For Jen Rose, art is a practice of constant experimentation: question everything. This philosophy is apparent in the diversity and volume of her output, as is her tenacity and devotion to technically difficult materials. But, it is her use of multiples that persists through her evolving bodies of work.

Jen Rose is a Texas native, born and raised in San Angelo. She received her MFA in Ceramics from the University of North Texas in Denton in 2002. She held a faculty position at Richland College for nine years before becoming her own boss at Bee Cups LLC, which utilizes a patent pending UV-
reactive glaze that she developed to aid in attracting pollinators. She exhibits her artwork regionally and nationally and has received multiple honors, including Innovation of the Year Recipient at the League of Innovation conference in San Francisco, CA in 2016.

Photos of the exhibit installed - click images to enlarge: