JENNIFER B. THORESON

Jennifer B. Thoreson is a multidisciplinary artist working in Albuquerque, NM. She holds a BFA in Music Performance from the University of Texas, Arlington, and an MFA from the University of New Mexico.

Through installation, sculpture, and photography, Jennifer creates participatory, multi-sensory work rich in allegory. She explores the phenomenon of belief and has invested more than 15 years of research surveying the manifestation of human faith, religious systems, and theology. She is particularly interested in places where differing belief systems intersect and overlap, and where belief seeps into a larger culture, impacting the lives of non-subscribers. Her work is heavily metaphorical and relies on a highly orchestrated, multisensory experience to elicit emotional response. She carefully conceives each piece by manipulating symbolic materials, constructing site-specific installations and sculptures, meticulously staging every element to imbue it with meaning and significance.

Jennifer’s work is held in multiple museum collections, and has been shown in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including at the Houston Center for Photography, the Oregon Center for Photographic Arts, Portland, OR, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, FL, and the Musee de l'Elysee, Lausanne, Switzerland. In addition, her work has been published worldwide in well-known art journals, periodicals, and books. A monograph of her work, entitled Medic, was published in 2011. Awards include Photo Star Award (Kaunas, Lithuania); International Center of Photography (ICP) Leadership Medallion; Photolucida Book Prize, Residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute, and the Howard Franks Memorial Grant.

Click to download a CV: CV 2023.pdf