Press Release

Ruth Bachofner Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of new paintings by Jennifer Faist. There will be a reception for the artist Saturday, October 22, 5 - 7 PM.

Over the course of her career, Jennifer Faist has created artwork by bringing together two unlikely companions: fabric and high-gloss formalism. At first glance the work aligns with a version of the slick Finish Fettish works of the past, but Faist's meticulously crafted work merges pure materiality with personal resonance. As in previous series, Faist appropriates patterns from clothing with which she has personal associations. In this current body of work, she used apparel from friends and acquaintances, rather than material that she had collected over several years.

To create the vibrant, sculptural pieces, Faist draws her chosen textile design in fine detail and gradually envelopes the original form beneath layers of colored acrylic glazes. Each painting, suspended in resin on thick wood supports, becomes a relic of her encounters with other people. The perfectly smooth, reflective paintings draw viewers into their vibrant, shimmering depths, making onlookers a part of the material and emotive journey that the pieces reveal.

“The patterns in my latest grouping of paintings come from textile designs from the apparel of friends and acquaintances or other people I meet. They encompass a spectrum of social relationships from fleeting exchanges to everyday encounters. The relationships can be close or distant, but yet there is always a thread that weaves between one person and another, creating the fabric of our social networks. The paintings serve as mementos, little fragments of intimacy, something to remember them by.”

Jennifer Faist received her MFA from Claremont Graduate University. She lives and works in Los Angeles.