Jena Love
The Unsolvable Conspiracy of Life
The Unsolvable Conspiracy of Life is an exploration of internal dialogues, and the complexities, vulnerabilities, and contradictions found within. Through this deeply personal work, I expose unspeakable fears, the embarrassing, and sometimes damaging thoughts that consume me, and the unanswerable questions that inhabit my brain. By making visible the inner workings and tangled tapestries of my own mind – the neurodivergent mind of a working parent of three young children – I present a case study for the intricate neural patterns and pathways that knit together the landscapes of an individual’s thoughts. Though based on my own viewpoint, this work articulates a more universal experience of the weight and responsibility of life and parenthood – of living lives that are not solely our own.
Using the visual languages of documentary photography and candid snapshots, I create a pictorial framework, reminiscent of a detective’s evidence board, within which I trace the interconnected webbing of both dominant and minor thought processes. Referencing the sporadic, non-linear nature of inner dialogues, the multiple branches of imagery are punctuated with poly bags containing collected samples, found artifacts and fragments of handwritten text containing specific questions, thoughts, and fears and. The installation, set on a recreation of a wall in my home, expresses the unexpected humor and absurdity we face when balancing the complexities of self with the constant, often overwhelming, responsibilities of domestic and professional life.
About
Jena Love is an artist and educator who lives and works in Sullivan County, NY. Though her background is in drawing and painting, she is currently focused on expanding her body of conceptual photography work. In her art, Love explores the complexities, ironies, challenges, humor, and beauty of motherhood. A mother of three, Love often captures herself and her family as the primary models for her images, set within the context of domestic spaces. She uses elements of documentary and typological photography, along with aspects of surrealism and farce to craft images that critically engage with the quotidian nature of family life, finding humor in the mundane. Though approached through the lens of a personal narrative, Love’s art speaks more broadly to the universal and shared experiences of mothers, parents, and children, particularly as situated within an American consumerist culture. Her work has been exhibited in various exhibitions virtually, within the United States as well as internationally. Her work has been featured in numerous publications such as LENSCRATCH, Feature Shoot, and F-stop magazine. She was named one of the 100 female photographers to watch in 2021 by Click Magazine and included in Photolucida’s Critical Mass top 50 of 2022