Jennifer Nehrbass’ paintings focus on style as a sublime element of tension within beauty. Thematically they evoke modern dilemmas of what it means to see and be seen in a manner that is simultaneously ancient and contemporary. Ambiguity, realism, and fantasy play atmospherically in a narrative moment akin to magic realism. Her paintings speak to forbidden thoughts and desires and suggest something is denied to the viewer. What the paintings yield is an intimacy of time and place that meanders through rich details and nuanced perplexity–bafflement being necessary to the experience of viewing as is delicate reasoning. Nehrbass spends countless hours scouring the internet for the perfect vista for inspiration to create her meticulously painted landscapes. The many layers symbolize ecological layers, layers of history, layers of identity and perception causing an emotive reaction to the landscape. Jennifer Nehrbass’ solo exhibition at Visions West Contemporary in 2024, Lacuna, explored the multifaceted aspects of identity, place, and the concept of the in-between. This in-between brings us together or separates us; past/present, thoughts/dreams, reality/imagination. The dreamlike setting evokes a longing for a place of peace that offers a light at the end of the tunnel. The softer lines add a sense of flow alluding to the need to navigate together to have a peaceful outcome for the environment. The portraits in the exhibition most clearly demonstrate the use of layering as a visual metaphor for cultural signifiers and historical markers. In the painting, Rush, the oversized necklace, and hat are symbols of the greed of Manifest Destiny while the shadow line creates a mask alluding to theft. Jennifer Nehrbass is a painter living and working in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was born in West Bend, Wisconsin in 1970. She received her B.S. in Art and Textile Design from the University of Wisconsin, her MA in Painting from New York University, and her MFA in painting from the University of New Mexico. She spent 10 years working as a Design Director at Ralph Lauren before pursuing her art career. Jennifer Nehrbass has been featured in solo and group exhibitions globally at institutions including Albuquerque Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM; Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard, CA; and Brunnhofer Gallery, Linz, Austria. Her work is in several private and public collections in the United States and Europe, including the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art: Feminist Art Base at the Brooklyn Museum.