By Ashley W Joyce

Meet Jennifer Cronin, a very intriguing Chicago painter whose solo show The Peculiar Manifestation of Paint In My Life, will premiere May 7th at the Elephant Room Inc gallery. These dramatic and darkly lit oil-paintings are monumental in scale, and that eerie private dramatic feeling dominates the tiny Elephant Room.

They are beautiful without a doubt, the composition and style Jennifer carries on canvas is astounding. Her detail is impeccable, which supports much of the subject at hand. Her admiration for the psychology of the domestic space, places the viewer in an environment that will have you starring and observing every detail, stroke, shade, color, tone, and expression on canvas. It’s very melodramatic, with a hint of dark humor and with the nude flesh tones Jennifer seems to balance it perfectly on her grand scale canvas. I’m thinking Caravaggio, with those heavy highlights and dark accents, Jennifer paints art that is very handsome. There’s something about those tones of dramatic light that makes Jennifer smile in pleasure.

Jennifer Cronin began her series The Peculiar Manifestation of Paint In My Life in London, where she studied abroad to develop her skills as a painter. Only she found Art was produced more in form of theory, where many used geometric shapes and landscapes as an exploration. Jennifer chose to go in another direction and create something that generated expression. She wanted to break the illusion of painting “To deny art is expressive or not related to the self is a lie”, Jennifer responded. Her work is consistently tapping into psychology, and conveying vulnerability, fear and frustration. The use of the domestic setting is simply her comfort within those spaces, they are not really self portraits. The dark forms within the paintings are abstract passages to be experimental, a form of liberation for Jennifer to see how they interplay on canvas against the stylized painting already on hand.

This work is an open psychological experience for the viewer to wonder in the mystical and surrealistic elements. There is a looming Donnie-Darko feel to her work, it plays very much with your emotions and your mind. Even this writer had some trouble surrounding herself in these painting without feeling a little bit of anxiety and tension. I wouldn’t miss the opening reception Friday, May 7, 2010 from 6pm-10pm at the Elephant Room Inc Gallery, for more information see the details of the show below.

Check out her work at The Elephant Room Inc Gallery

Check out her personal site at Jennifer Cronin.com

Exhibition

May 3rd – June 12th, 2010

Opening Reception Friday, May 7th 6pm-10pm

Closing Reception Friday, June 11th 6pm-9pm

All-Day Sketch Event with the Artist on Saturday, June 12th