Artist Bio
Jennifer Gough is a self-taught abstract painter.
Gough has been working as a visual artist in Kitchener/Waterloo and the surrounding area for the past seven years. During this short period of time she has established a strong presence in the arts community. In 2010 Gough was named one of Waterloo Regional Record’s 40 Under 40 as well as being nominated for Woman of the Year, Arts & Culture Kitchener Oktoberfest/Rogers. In 2011 and 2012 Gough was nominated for the Waterloo Region Arts Award in the Visual Arts category.
Four years ago Gough launched the very successful opening of her own gallery & studio M.E.S.A (Minds Eye Studio Art). The gallery is home to her work year round and is host to numerous private and public showings. Recently Gough has expanded her reach and opened the gallery doors to local and surrounding area artists, emerging and established, to help promote arts and culture in the Kitchener Waterloo Region.
Gough is most commonly known for her abstract contemporary and mixed media paintings. The unique nature of her work has sparked much interest and attention and her individual style of creating can not easily be condensed into any one category.
Modern abstracts drenched in color, combined with her use of clean lines and shapes lend themselves to a feeling of big city loft living. Structured, detailed pieces with a definite bold connection to retro print add & comic book genres inspire a playful, punchy attitude with a hint of the provocative. Layered, mixed media pieces give depth and texture to an otherwise flat canvas and add intrigue and interest for conceptual analysis.
As with many artists, Jennifer’s inspiration comes from many different places. The obvious conventional sources such as color, shapes, texture and contrast all play a huge part, but the root of her inspiration comes from life itself. Human nature, emotion, life experience and freedom of expression. The objective of her work is to bring the viewer into the piece. To inspire a connection and allow each one to find something of themselves in the piece.
Artist Statement
My work as a whole is reflective of my journey through life. Each piece tells it’s part of the story. Driven by emotion, my work expresses feelings of ambition, hope, fear, exhilaration and determination. Bold colors and strong lines represent power and strength, while blended, textured areas speak more to personal growth, passion and the pursuit of happiness. ” In my opinion, art is a very personal experience. To be viewed from ones own perspective. Not necessarily to be understood, but instead to be felt, and inspire a reaction in the viewer. It’s a love affair.” Jennifer Gough.