Jenny Toth

Have a Backbone

2008

Jenny Toth works in Manhattan, sometimes in her apartment, sometimes in her studio, and sometimes you can see her drawing at the zoo. She is an Associate Professor of Art at Wagner College, where she has been teaching painting, drawing, and other creative adventures since 1999. Jenny received her B.A. from Smith College in 1994 and her M.F.A. from Yale School of Art in 1998. She attended Yale from 1994-1995 and then took a two-year hiatus and attended The New York Studio School from 1995-1997 where she studied with many amazing people like Graham Nickson, Mercedes Matter and Charles Cajori. She returned to Yale in 1997-1998. Jenny has also taught at Smith College and SUNY Potsdam. She has traveled alone to such far-flung places as Greenland and West Papua, and regularly spends time in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and La Jolla, CA. She lives with her two sons, husband, and her dogs Muppet and Mr. Scruffles. Her two life-long passions in life are art and animals. She hopes to spend the rest of her life having adventures, learning and playing the NYTimes Spelling Bee. Known for painting fantastical, sometimes self-reflective narrative scenes with a touch of humor, Jenny Toth works from direct observation, sometimes with the aid of elaborate set-ups and props. Typically, the scenes she transcribes onto canvas or paper constitute a variation on self-portraiture, stemming from her interest in how women choose to portray themselves versus how male artists have traditionally depicted them including “flaws” like a deformed toe or hairy legs underscores her premium on honesty over vain attempts at conforming to conventional beauty standards. Through portraits of herself hiding behind a cactus, a fisherman’s net, or a mask, Toth explores themes of inner struggle, fear of loneliness, and wariness of intimate commitment. Later her work includes the joys and frustrations of motherhood and complex feelings depicted with animals as a source.