Jen Mann.

I was recently tipped off to Jen Mann's work through a press release from Mahan Gallery of the upcoming show Nature Noir. I slipped right into the breathy, smoky paintings of Jen as soon as I saw her first painting, Wolf. I asked Jen to tell me a little bit about her work and process:

"My work comes from my own experience and understanding of society and how I fit into it. We forget that we are animals, we expect ourselves to not act like one or behave as one. As though we should fit into perfect molds and live up to unrealistic expectations. The series is called 'Fera' which is the Latin origin of the word feral. It's a personal escape for me. I think artists are certainly people who feel the pressures to fit into society. But we just want to be wild."

I should say that Jen followed that quote up with a laugh, which I find totally charming and sincere. You can see more of her work on her website or check out Nature Noir, a group show with Bethany Davis and Lacey Hedtke at Mahan Gallery. Nature Noir opens March 5th.

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The painting below, Two Minutes In Heaven Is Better Than One Minute in Heaven, is part of Jen's series Tandem.