Jennifer Innes, born in Scotland, studied art at school and then pursued her academic studies in Edinburgh, Bologna, Florence and Oxford and a career in international finance in London, Luxembourg and Rome, while maintaining her interest in art as a sideline. She started painting seriously in the late 1990s and works principally in oils but also mixed media and charcoal. She has paintings in private collections in Australia, Italy, Scotland and the US. She divides her time between her homes in Scotland and Italy.
In the introduction to her latest show in Luxembourg, her fellow artist, friend and mentor, Gordon Faggetter, who has works in many prestigious collections, including one in the Musei Vaticani, has the following to say of her:
Jennifer paints!
Jennifer Innes paints in oil as none of my fellow artists do. Being self-taught, she is able to express herself freely in her own fashion. She is gifted. She sings and plays pianoforte. Musicians dream of expressing colours as painters dream of painting music…..the eternal dilemma. Her moment of creation comes only after meditation and deep contemplation on the subject in question. Then, with great courage and her lately-gained confidence, she “attacks” the canvas with strength, though her sensitivity always shines through in every work. Following “no school of thought”, Jennifer chooses her pigments with emotion as a poet like Robert Burns would have done while reading “Tae a mouse” out loud in public.
This exhibition that I’ve seen in ante prima is indeed quite unique…….an opera in itself. She has managed to put together various moments of her dreams and turned them into characters. As the great director and cartoonist Federico Fellini introduced his public to his clowns and artistes in the famous “81/2” (black and white ‘60s), Jennifer, in a similar way, has turned the circus into an opera house where we await the opening of the curtains. The imaginary curtain opens onto a bare, dark stage whereupon each single actor or singer will appear under the spotlight to present themselves openly, freely and above all fearless of criticism.
One feels a little tenderness looking at the figure of “Chiara di Luna” seated at her pianoforte. “Rocco” on his motorbike, naked, surreal. From “Rigoletto” to “San Sebastiano awaiting his arrows”, a self-portrait suspended in air, a dream, one can translate Jennifer’s colours into joy, sadness, love, irony, pity – a tear…..a smile. Colours become symbolic in her magical world to which she’s opened the door. Personally, I believe the climax of the “show” is surely “The seven deadly sins”, her latest paintings. A great achievement to be capable of using her seven notes, seven essential colours, seven faces……a rainbow. In short, Jennifer Innes wants all of us to “HEAR THE COLOUR WHILE SHE PAINTS THE MUSIC”.
ON with the show, it’s just the beginning!
Gordon Faggetter
