JESSICA
LENARD
ARTIST
ARTIST STATEMENT
As an author recounts his life, the artist narrates an autobiographic journey of images both intimate and universal.
“Everything inspires and influences my vision; a film unravels, negatives unspool. I call upon memories to reinvent life into art. Perception becomes rearranged while always striving for honesty and truth.”
Subtle line, markings, and collage-like elements are presented with a fundamental respect for a primitive vision. This naivety becomes charged with vivid, painterly strokes that come together to form its poetic and playful vision.
“The German school of DADA is loosely translated into “crazy narrative.” Although I try to avoid both trend and critic, this strikes me as an apt way of describing my work.”
As Michael Brenson of the New York Times writes: “Ms. Lenard defines herself as both provincial outsider and hip insider, and it is this, as much as anything that gives her work its knowing smile”
Solo Exhibitions
2014 50 Works Studio 297, Madison NJ
2013 Paquette Gallery, Boonton, NJ
2007 Tomasulo Gallery, Union County College, Cranford, NJ
2006 John Allan, New York, NY
2002 Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ
1999 Gallery Alexie, New York, NY
1998 SOHO 20 Gallery, New York, NY
1997 Rapier, Stead & Bowden, New York, NY
1995 El-Baz Gallery, New York, NY
1995 Shoe-String Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
1994 Frank Martin Gallery, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA
1993 SOHO 20 Gallery, New York, NY
1991 SOHO 20 Gallery, New York, NY
Selected Exhibitions
2014 Index Gallery, Newark, NJ
2013 Visual art Center of NJ. Lasting Impressions
2011 Nexus, Rahway Arts Guild, Rahway, NJ
2010 Hatched – crossing the line, Guerilla Girls Gallery, Newark, NJ
2010 Distillery Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
2010 Contemporary Art Network, New York, NY
2010 Work for the Creative Center, Johnson and Johnson, New York, NY
2010 Works on Paper, Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ
2008 The Art of Democracy, Loyola University Museum, Chicago
2008 Pressing Matters in Printmaking, Folk Art Center, Asheville,NC
2008 The Art of Democracy, National Arts Club, Grammercy Park, New York, NY
2008 City Sky, CANCO Lofts, Jersey City, NJ
2007 People without Clothes, CANCO Lofts, Jersey City, NJ
2006 The Art of Persuasion, National Arts Club, Grammercy Park, New York, NY
2006 Faculty Exhibition, Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ
2006 Etched in Imagination, Rutgers Center for Innovative Print & Paper, NJ
2006 Salon Show, NY Society of Etchers, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY
2005 Hand Pulled, Victory Hall, Jersey City, NJ
2005 Skyway Show, Victory Hall, Jersey City, NJ
2004 Current Printmaking, Old Church Cultural Center, Demarest, NJ
2004 1st Impressions, Maplewood Art Center, Maplewood NJ
2003 Forrest Scott Gallery, Millburn, NJ
2003 Backroads and Highways, Printmaking Council of NJ
2002 Urban Crossings, Somerset Art Center, Somerset, NJ
2001 Hunterdon Art Center, Group Show, Clinton, NJ
2000 Faculty Exhibition, Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ
2000 Kharkov Art Museum, Group Show, Russia
2000 Crimean Republic Museum of Local Lore, Group Show, Russia
2000 Odessa Literature Museum, Group Show, Russia
2000 All-Russia Decorative Applied and Folk Art Museum, Moscow, Russia
1999 Palmer Museum, Two-person Print Show, Springfield, NJ
1999 Millennium Show, Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ
1999 Ten x Ten, The Printmaking Council of New Jersey, Somerville, NJ
1998 Faculty Show, Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ
1998 Memory Into Art, Paramount Center for the Arts, Peekskill, NY
1998 Group Show, Charles Chamot Gallery, Jersey City, NJ
1998 Women of Action, Rotunda Gallery, City Hall, Jersey City, NJ
1998 Multi-Solo, De Zaaijer Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1998 Faces of America, Nabisco Gallery, East Hanover, NJ
1997 The Good Life, Longwood Arts Gallery, Bronx, NY
1996 National Print Exhibition, Hunterdon Art Center, Clinton, NJ
1995 Selected Printmakers, Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Summit, NJ
1995 Musée de Napoleon, Int’l Juried Show, Paris, France
1994 The Salon Show, Soho 20, New York, NY
1993 Visual Arts Center of New Jersey, Group Show, Summit, NJ
1993 Castle Gallery, Group Show, College of New Rochelle, NY
1993 The Drawing Center, Group Show, New York, NY
1993 Art Initiatives, Group Show, New York, NY
1991 Triplex Gallery, Manhattan Borough College, NY
1991 El-Baz Gallery, New York, NY
1988 Esta Robinson Contemporary Art, New York, NY
1988 New Images '88, New York, NY
1986 Civilization Gallery, Group Show, New York, NY
1986 Stokker-Stikker Gallery, Group Show, New York, NY
1986 Emerging Collector, New York, NY
1986 Muhlenberg Art Center, Allentown, PA
Awards
Grant recipient for Rutgers Center for Innovative Paper & Printmaking
Painting chosen by the NYNEX Corp. for poster in honor of Women's History Month
Best In Show, Celebration 80, Allentown Art Museum, PA
Best In Show by jurors Bob Littman, Grey Gallery, NYU, & Lowry Simms, Metropolitan Museum, NYC
Publications and Reviews
2007 Summit Independent Press, 5/1
2006 Star Ledger, Dan Bischoff, "Etched in imagination" 1/6
2002 Independent Press, Beth Wade, “Lenard Presses Pulaski
Panoramas”, p. B1, 8/21
2002 Summit Independent Press, Feature Story, Aug 28th
2002 Independent Press, “Printer’s Monotypes Make Jigsaw
Puzzles…”, Jan. 2
2000 Summit Observer, Review
1999 Summit Observer, Feature Story
1999 Star Ledger, Sept. 5, Art Section
1998 Featured Guest, ARTBEAT, PBS Philadelphia
1997 New York Times, 6/15/97
1994 Call Chronicle Newspaper, Art Section Feature Story 9/94
1991 New York Times
1991 Hampton's Magazine (August)
1987 Encyclopedia