Jennifer Reeves’ exhibition career lasted only 22 years but in that brief time Reeves received much critical acclaim for, as her archive states: “...creating a body of paintings, drawings and photographs that speak to and confront formalist and humanist dilemmas". Beyond her achievements in the art world, Reeves enjoyed a considerable fan-base as a result of her astonishing Facebook presence where she chronicled and interwove her art and diaristic prose knowing her life would soon be cut short.
After a series of regional solo exhibitions in ‘92 and ‘93 a solo show in Paris in 1994 where she lived for a time Reeves had her first solo exhibition in New York at Helen Harwood Gallery in 1995. Several critics took notice and a second solo in New York followed in 1997 at The Roger Smith Hotel. After the Roger Smith Hotel show more exhibits followed quickly through 2002 in the United States & internationally including Stefan Stux in New York, Gian Enzo Sperone in Rome, Art & Public in Geneva, Gorney Bravin Lee in New York, The Worchester Art Museum, Max Protect, New York, David Klein Gallery in Birmingham MI and Ramis Barquet in New York & Monterey Mexico. Reeves had five solos exhibitions with Barquet thru 2011 plus scores of group shows at galleries including Derek Eller, Calicoon Fine Arts, Caren Golden, Brent Sikkema, Danese Gallery, Leslie Heller and more.
“A painter's rule: Have a plan but be willing to throw it all away” opens with 19 small oils + mixed media of Reeve’s work from 1990 to 2013. The majority of the work circles around the period 1994-1995 just as Reeves career went into overdrive with paintings that changed from her early slugs series (transformative figures) into what she became best known for: colorful abstract mixed media paintings that confronted formalist & human dilemmas. This is the first exhibition at Philip Douglas Fine Art with the estate of Jennifer Reeves and the first solo exhibit of her work since her show at Hutchinson Contemporary in New York in 2022. In addition to Reeves paintings & constructions she also produced two well received books, a graphic novel The Anyway Ember and Soul Bolt, a book of her photographic images and prose. Reeves is a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow recipient.