Jennifer Nehrbass Reimagines the American West Through Feminist Painting

Jennifer Nehrbass challenges traditional depictions of the U.S. West in her paintings, which she describes as a 'feminist west' where women ride horseback and hike in fashionable attire. Her work spans three tangents: portraits (series like 'Feminist West,' 'Womenfest Destiny,' and 'Pioneer Project'), landscapes (under the series 'Punk Mountain'), and sculptures made from wood found in the arroyo near her Albuquerque home. The landscapes are completely contrived, not specific to any place, though they evoke the American Southwest. Nehrbass, a former textile designer for Ralph Lauren, incorporates her design and fashion background into her paintings, particularly in color balance and harmony. Both portraits and landscapes often begin with collaged images found online. Her portraiture veers towards photorealism in faces and hands, which she uses to push the figure off the background. Landscapes feature vivid hues like emerald green, teal blue, and ruby red, a stark contrast to softer Southwestern tones. Influences include Hiroshige, the nineteenth-century Japanese printmaker. Common elements include a red sun or moon, which serves as a directional marker and reflects life in New Mexico. Nehrbass aims to move viewers through the landscape, creating a path of a journey. This article first appeared in Hi-Fructose Issue 78.