LEVIATHAN
Original painting By Rev. Jen Miller
H 18" X W 24"
Acrylic on canvas
Rev Jen Miller is simply an ART STAR of The Lower East Side. Primarily a painter now and had an outstanding prolific painting splurge and created a new series in the pandemic and we are proud to show her new works. She was an original member of the first ‘happenings’ and ‘art events’ produced by Dollhaus from 1999-2001 before the first Dollhaus was opened in July of 2001. We are proud and excited to announce her first solo exhibition at Dollhaus II.
Dollhaus II presents “Divine Discontent”, a solo exhibition of over 30 paintings by Reverend Jen Miller. If your eyes are glazed over from fourteen months of watching Netflix, you’ll want to groove on into this display of unparalleled wackiness and mastery of classical technique.
Rev. Jen is a Renaissance Elf of many hats: author of 6 published books including Live Nude Elf (Soft Skull Press, 2009) and Elf Girl (Simon &Schuster, 2011), open mic host of the long-running Anti-Slam, screenwriter (Satan, Hold My Hand and Werewolf Bitches from Outer Space), cable access star (Electra Elf) and founder of the "Lower East Side Troll Museum", which she ran out of her tiny apartment for 16 years. Rev. Jen is also a painter who, in 1994, graduated from the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Fine Arts.
For lack of a better word, Rev. Jen’s paintings are trippy. Seeing her show, you might feel like you’ve just dropped acid and walked in tripping. But, Jen’s paintings don’t create a fantastical reality: they admit to a quieter reality that is always with us. In the liminal threshold between the mundane and the holy, exists the condition of wonder. The subjects Jen paints – troll dolls, cats, cheap costumes and amusements, all have a magic that can’t be contextualized. Dryads emerge from fake wood paneling, Sears catalog models morph into Kaijus and a Barbie mannequin head’s eyes follow you around the room.
Drawing on influences including Marcel Duchamp, Alfred Jarry, The Twilight Zone, Spongebob Squarepants, Marvel movies and Leonardo da Vinci, Rev’s work engages viewers in her own existential dread, begging the question, “What does it mean to not fit in?” The subjects she paints are artistic non sequiturs whose ridiculousness is a challenging device to our sense of normalcy.
REV JEN MILLER has shown her art works with The Dollhaus at the well known group show "The Terrible Toy Fair" TTTF over the years curated by gallerist/curator Emma-Louise. The first one was held in the original gallery in Brooklyn and then continued to the iconic CBGB's Art Gallery (RIP) which became very successful and well attended by many New York and Jersey artists. As the pandemic hit in March of 2020 the TTTF IV had to be closed down. It will return TTTF V 2022. We welcome Rev Jen Miller for her first solo exhibition at Dollhaus II.
The Dollhaus started in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at 37 Broadway under the Williamsburg Bridge and was extremely well attended. Dollhaus ran hard and heavy for 6 years. Finally after the raise of rents and gentrification of this originally known creative artists neighborhood and just kicking all the artists out who couldn't afford the 'Artists' town anymore The gallery was forced to travel to unknown areas to continue operations and having a platform for exhibiting up and coming artists with unique talents. An 'Outsider Gallery', Dollhaus II was born again. Here is where Bayonne, New Jersey comes to play! WHERE? Seemed like a perfect place to carry on with DOLLHAUS II.
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