Jenifer Kent

Artist Statement:

Accumulation and repetition have long been themes in my work. I repeat marks, lines, stains, shapes, etc. to create forms. Often these marks are created through a mediated process of drawing. In drawing and printmaking, I sometimes draw directly and sometimes use scratching, pressing, or other indirect means to make marks; through experimentation and exploration I find new ways to affect the surface.

I find the act of making the drawing primary, while the finished drawing or installation functions more as evidence of an activity. I am curious about the small details of each form and how larger patterns of movement or organization are created by small imperceptible entities; accumulation and repetition seem to create order and form.

I’m inspired by systems and patterns of movement and growth, electron microscopy, maps, diagrams, charts, insects, plants, and the body.

Jenifer Kent teaches Painting, Drawing, and AP Studio Art classes at University High School. She holds a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and an MFA from Mills College. Since receiving her MFA in 1999, Jenifer has continued to make and show her drawings and installations at Bay Area locations such as The Davis Art Center, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, and The Lab. Examples of Jenifer’s installations include a wall of 400 small drawings arranged in a grid, inspired by real and invented microscopic creatures, and a large wall stained with the residue from used teabags. In addition to drawing, she frequently explores cellular imagery using alternative forms of markmaking such as scratching, printing and blowing bubbles. She is current represented by the Dolby Chadwick Gallery in San Francisco.