Plus Gallery

Rise - Jenny Morgan Self Portraits in Colorado Collections from between 2009 and 2016

Sangre de Cristo Art Center October 7, 2016 - January 22, 2017

From Van Gogh over a century ago, to Cindy Sherman today, self portraiture holds a singular place in art, whether as a working tool, fascination or “mirror” of individual and collective reality that stimulates both artists and collectors alike. A very distinct and continually evolving case in point is that of Jenny Morgan, a young contemporary painter who since emerging through Denver Colorado’s gallery circuit in 2002 has developed her own particular attachment to the self to build a formidable career with a unique trajectory unlike any other in art today.

“Rise - Jenny Morgan Self Portraits in Colorado Collections from between 2009 and 2016” is the first exhibition to capture this extraordinary development, a snapshot into one of the most exciting art practices of our times, shaping historic antecedents in a manner that is highly nuanced and thoroughly compelling. At least 20 paintings from 11 collectors based in Colorado contribute their “Jennys” to this celebratory exhibition. Almost everyone who has collected her work or become familiar with her practice understands and reveres this particular engagement, most obsessively so.

The exhibition is presented in association with Plus Gallery, Denver, Colorado through the curatorial direction of Ivar Zeile. A soft cover catalog corresponding to the exhibition is available through Blurb.com

Select captions from the collectors involved in the exhibition accompany the paintings. The introductory essay corresponding to the exhibition is found further below.

The idea to mount an exhibition consisting only of Jenny Morgan’s self portraits started brewing around 2012, a point in time where interest in her paintings and career amongst collectors in Colorado was starting to surge. Jenny had accepted an invitation to stay in Denver for a couple of weeks as a brief residency towards the end of the summer in 2011. During that time she worked in a vacant condo on a small painting, one I had hoped would secure interest from two prominent collectors in the community whom I had been courting and had shown some desire in acquiring one of her self portraits. I was fairly certain the work in question would be the right fit for the couple, and gave them the first look as well as the opportunity for Jenny to discuss it with them in person. But they declined the purchase, for whatever reasons, and the relationship with them never continued. Shortly thereafter, one of Jenny’s most devoted and astute collectors not only acquired the painting but commissioned Jenny to create a second to pair with the original, effectively supporting the notion that no single engagement with a pose or idea is necessarily an absolute resolution for an artist. Combined, the two self portraits are titled “How strange it is to be anything at all” and “Can’t believe.”

The commission was initiated with the following understanding as outlined by Morgan: “The former paintings title ‘How strange it is to be anything at all’ refers to the spiritual notion of being aware, that we are just souls occupying form and matter known as our bodies - I think of this painting as being as example of one of the many forms and ‘states’ of mind we take on while being this specific soul body. This second piece will be exists as another state of being - existing in a more ‘realistic’ state, connected to reality. The title will be ‘Cant believe’ which is actually the first two words from the original song lyric that the first title came from.

I was extremely thankful for that opportunity to delve deeper into Jenny’s mind through the support of a collector of immense stature. I have known Jenny from the very beginning of her professional career and had long become thoroughly convinced of her abundant, bright talent and that it would lead to a certain, exceptional career path. Prior to her permanent move to New York City in 2006, her exhibitions in Denver were always thrilling to support, and critical to the success and overall stature of Plus Gallery. As Morgan’s environment matured, so did her fearlessness in approaching her work, which never deviated from her original interest ”in the human form and the emotional implications embedded within portraits.“ (Jenny Morgan artist statement, 2003).

Morgan’s early period between 2003 and 2006 consisted almost entirely of realist compositions, primarily on minimalist backgrounds, featuring her own body. The viewer was not necessarily aware of the self-referential nature of the work, though it was certainly implied in the oddly cropped compositions, which were often spread amongst two or more canvases. The effect was compelling coming from an artist in her early twenties, the deft skills and tension-filled poses bringing her rapid attention. The deeper view into her practice as an extremely personal experience developed in tandem with the early embrace of collectors who engaged not only with the work but the excitement building around her budding career. Finally, in one of her most important early bodies of work “Mine not yours,” presented in 2005, Morgan delivered a view of her own visage for the first time in two small-scale paintings of a triptych, finally owning the body that had already made significant impact amongst viewers. It was an exciting moment, though one that didn’t immediately shift the course of her practice.

Those who had acquired her paintings during that time certainly associated the work strongly with jJenny as an individual. It is likely, however, that this greatly fed her desire to develop new techniques and a broader ability to interpret emotions and experiences through others. Her career certainly catapulted forward once she shifted her boundaries, allowing others in as models and muses. Her framework eventually shifted into a dynamic position that largely embraces friends, fellow artists and persons of intrigue that she might encounter in unusual ways. Morgan almost never paints someone upon request, though she has entertained several commissions of high-profile characters of international stature for major publications when her criteria can be met. But even as her practice broadened through others, Jenny Morgan has still maintained herself as the most versatile, available and intriguing model.

It was also during the time of her brief summer residency in 2011 that Jenny accepted my challenge of discussing her work ”off the cuff” for a video profile I had in mind that would be titled “Self Portrait.” The idea was simply to sit Jenny in front of a red-wall, and have her respond to a list of paintings she had completed, in no particular order and without advance knowledge of which paintings she’d be asked to discuss. The impressively quick shoot was more inspiring than could have been imagined, revealing a full immersion and confident understanding Morgan has with each of her paintings.

This first semi-professional, albeit short document of Jenny discussing her work was initially released online and shortly thereafter included in the group exhibition “Out-Figured” at Denver’s Center for Visual Arts, an impressive and immense thematic undertaking that included eight of Jenny’s paintings (with an additional in collaboration with David Mramor), on loan from five denver-based individuals/families who all had depth in collecting her work. Presenting her artwork for the first time without intention to necessarily “sell” what was on view, in an institutional context that also included works by one of her early mentors, the painter and teacher Irene Delka Mcray, was certainly a charge that had not yet been experienced but would pave the way for others to come. Of the eight paintings selected for the exhibition, three were self portraits of Jenny dating between 2010 and 2012, including the one most recently commissioned mentioned above.

Upon securing that commission I had decided to offer the entire proceeds from the sale to Jenny with the stipulation that she would make a second painting for my own personal collection, of comparable scale and without any strings attached. While indeed some of her early collectors lost interest in her work after the transformational shift to focus on the gaze of her subjects, a much stronger attachment to her practice and the results grew amongst an ever widening base of fans and patrons. I personally revered every single work of hers in its own way, so the thrill of waiting to see what she would present was palpable, culminating in one of the most exciting experiences i’ve had as a collector. Jenny’s surprise portrait for this occasion was the painting “Rise,” a painting that wondrously seizes my attention now on a daily basis. It was shortly after receiving this gift that I started envisioning an exhibition made up solely of her self portraits, the urge intensifying in 2012 after Jenny casually commented that she knows she’s “a freak,” which we both understood to be a good thing.

The opportunity materialized in the fall of September 2014, coinciding with Jenny’s sold-out solo exhibition “The Golden Hour,” her fifth with Plus Gallery and the final in a building we had redeveloped specifically for our operation but had decided to move on from. Elizabeth Szabo introduced herself one day at the gallery during the course of the show, along with her associate Ludel Walter, both with the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center in Pueblo, Colorado. A previous curator had built a solid profile for the center through her interest and connections to contemporary art, but it had been a while since I’d heard anything from the area. Liz was new in her position as the visual arts curator and direct with her interest in bringing Jenny’s work to the community. I was not familiar with the space but knew it could be tricky to put something meaningful in place. My immediate impression, however, was to see if this was the right fit for an exclusive exhibition comprised only of self portraits from private collections within the state of Colorado. I knew it would take a bit of effort with the expansive network of collectors to achieve the overall scope and aim, but was confident that it could be achieved, particularly with two years to prep for the exhibition as Liz had noted upon our initial meeting. A site visit confirmed that the center was not only suitable for the vision of the concept, but perhaps the perfect fit as the works could be displayed in “the round” with adequate spacing to accommodate twenty one paintings.

“Rise” is not only Jenny Morgan’s largest exhibition to date, but one that connects numerous individuals who are passionate about her work. Of her Colorado-based collectors, almost all have a self portrait of Jenny and most in conjunction with additional works of the last seven years. A few have multiple self portraits and about the same amount have multiple works spanning her career from the start. Some of her collectors mingle with one another on a select basis, whether via gallery events or for their own art-related social engagements, others rarely if ever cross paths with one another. Jenny has commented on numerous occasions how much her collectors from this community, and their singular embrace of her work, means to her, and the value it has provided for what at times can seem like an intangible career as an artist. She is certainly a unique individual and one who has opened up the rarest of experiences for all involved. We are continually in awe of her talent, humbled by her generous spirit, moved by her fortitude and excited by ever new step forward.

Jenny has achieved much for Colorado’s contemporary art community as a greater force in supporting one of the most exciting careers of current times and of prospective historic stature at a level that rarely, if ever, has reflected back on its origins.

Ivar Zeile, 2016