The Comedy Underground and Urban Craft Uprising joined forces to bring you The Art of Comedy. This gallery show takes place in the lobby of the world-famous Comedy Underground and features artwork that is either humorous in nature, or made by stand up comedians.
This month we feature the artwork of Jenna Colby.
“Bubbles popping and bare feet.” Ask Washington-state artist Jenna Colby to describe her work, and you don’t just get a string of adjectives; instead, you get a lovely little “word picture” that lets you know just how her art feels.
"Blue Ruin Gallery. Pittsburgh, PA"
View Jenna's work at: http://www.soopajdelux.com/ and soopajdelux.etsy.com
And as always, a barrel-full o the funniest indie crafters this side of the Factoria Mall join us in the lobby of The Comedy Underground to show off their hilarious wares. Support us by supporting them. And they'll support you. Or something. Someone will do something to support someone else. Or everyone will. Or we'll all just have a beer and pay for it ourselves and then go our separate ways. One of those things will happen.
Hilarious Indie Crafters of the Moment:
Decapitated Dollies by Scary White Girl Designs
Shirts, Buttons and Pillows by Man Made Monsters
The exhibit will be followed at 9 PM by an evening starring two of my personal favorite stand up comics -- Feature: Hari Kondabolu and Headliner: Gabriel Rutledge. You may have seen Hari on Jimmy Kimmel Live or Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and Gabriel was the winner of the 2005 Seattle International Comedy Competition.
Jenna Colby - Biography
Jenna Colby is a self taught artist who has always been creative through different mediums, but decided to focus on painting three years ago. Originally from Ohio, Jenna has traveled and lived in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but has called Seattle home since 1999. Growing up in a small town Colby was always fascinated with cities and has been influenced by her travels and the people she has met and observed. “I make it a point to take note and assign a story to the passer by, giving each moment in time purpose and creating color.” After developing and beginning to show her work, Jenna came into contact with the work of artists like Mark Ryden and Yoshimoto Nara. Thinking back, she says, “Their work really moved me. It made me nervous, giddy . . . I’m not sure if there is a word for it. But after experiencing that feeling, I decided that is what I want to do to others. I want to make other people feel that way.”
"Art Star Gallery. Philadelphia,PA"
Jenna Colby's work is clearly reminiscent of Mark Ryden and Yoshimoto Nara--anyway, that's what I thought as soon as I saw it--but is sweeter and more ethereal.
"Urban Craft Uprising. Seattle,WA"
“Bubbles popping and bare feet.” Ask Washington-state artist Jenna Colby to describe her work, and you don’t just get a string of adjectives; instead, you get a lovely little “word picture” that lets you know just how her art feels. Jenna seems to know a thing or two about states of mind. Even her exhibit title—It’s Not Real: Dream Diaries, Secret Messages, and Other Clues from Far Far Away—lets you know you’re in for something special when you view her work. Delicate, ethereal, sweet, Jenna’s paintings capture a curious personality in a brief moment of time ready to take you on an internal voyage. Her take on it is this: “A random passerby on a random day in a random moment has a story to tell, a history, a set of beliefs and intentions, all happening, all true and real, but unnoticed by most.” It is these moments that Jenna freezes in her colorful yet airy portraits of characters who are twiggy in form but bursting with emotion, sensation, and moodiness. That is her intent—to communicate the language of mood. “I make it a point to take note and assign stories to the passerby, giving each moment in time purpose and creating color within supersaturated environments even if the color exists only inside.” Now residing in Bremerton, Washington, Jenna once made Pittsburgh her home for a period of three years: “Pittsburgh woke me up and started me on my way. I have carried the lessons learned in that town with me and although I just lived there for a few years, I feel like I am from Pittsburgh.” And so she’d like to share her work with its residents with the help of Blue Ruin Gallery. Enter into the charmed world of Jenna Colby’s airy, emotional portraits.
"Blue Ruin Gallery. Pittsburgh, PA"