Location: United States
Jennifer Moore, a photographer and digital artist is a Chicagoland native. She has earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree (2002) and a Master in Arts degree (2005) from Governors State University. Jennifer is currently represented by 33 Contemporary Gallery.
Jennifer’s themes draw on personal experiences rooted in relationships, family, birth, death, sexuality, gender roles and religion. Moore’s work teeters on the edge of surrealism and theatrical narrative. She explores these commonalities through her photography and digital art to better understand humanity, motherhood and womanhood. Jennifer is currently the Assistant Professor of photography at the Illinois Institute of Art.
My work is an appendage of myself; little arms and legs that belong wholly to me, of which I find difficult to live without. It is a very difficult thing to put my images outside of myself; for fear that they cannot breathe without me; for fear that they will stop living; for fear that I may stop living. As a mother must watch her children as they become independent and separate from her, the time has come for me to let go of my work; allowing it to find its own way in the world.
For a good deal of time, I felt that my work was separate and independent of my “other” life…my family. Today, I feel quite differently. I feel a portion of my artistic strength lies in what I know inside and out; my children, my family, and my experiences juggling motherhood, a career and my art. I have stopped resisting. I have caved. I have embraced this fact and I feel I am a better artist for it.
I am interested in emotions and experiences that influence our behavior. Birth, death, sexuality, culture, gender roles and religion play a pivotal role in shaping our lives. It is my intent to explore these commonalities through my photography to better understand humanity, motherhood, womanhood and myself.
Surrealscapes was inspired, in part, by photographer, Anne Brigman, whose images explored the idea of ecofeminism. Brigman’s work, which was unconventional for the time (1890’s), depicted nude women as mother earth or fairy-like creatures dramatically posed in a natural landscape. Brigman’s work suggested bohemianism and female liberation and was heavily influenced by the connection between women and the earth. It was Brigman’s sole concern to depict the oneness of woman and nature.
Very much like Brigman, my images do play on the connection between women and the earth. But, while Brigman’s images depicted a mythological or dream-like fairytale in a hopeful manner, my work examines the darker side that the devaluation of women and nature produce. My work chooses to face the issue of duel degradation head-on, offering viewers a grim outtake of what is to come if we continue on this path. So often, women are treated as our environment is treated; without respect and without regard for their needs. How long will it take before we are living in an environmental wasteland of women?
You eat the earth without regret, without regard for her. You treat her as one would treat a cheating lover. Forget her beauty. Forget her graciousness. Forget her ability to give selflessly. Forget her. Use her like she will be there forever. Use her like she means nothing. Use her like she is a whore. Use her. Abuse her. Consume her without regret. No need to reach for her. She submits. She takes your abuse. Sometimes it looks like she enjoys it. You assume she will always be there. You assume she’s yours alone. You assume she cannot fight back. You mistake her calm for weakness. But one day you will feel her wrath. You will feel how wrong you were. You will feel regret. You will feel shame. You will feel like the whore.
“There She Goes Again, Unnatural Annihilation”
“Untitled (with Deer Skulls)”
“Untitled (with Boar Head)”
“Blasphemy Rules the World in White Dresses”
