Watson describes her work as ‘post-conceptual.’ Her pared-back expressionism is characterised by an urgency of execution that allows for direct communication unhindered by formal conventions. Her resulting figures evince a powerful emotional energy. Inhabiting large vistas of decorative fabric that amplify their interiority, they occupy a floating world.

Exhibition Dates: 27 September – 20 October 2007

Like recurring dreams, Jenny Watson employs perpetual symbols to convey personal, feminine perspectives rooted deep in the subconscious. Rejecting literal depictions, her sketchy female archetypes convey the artist’s alter-ego and are complemented by separate, (sometimes) autobiographical texts. Like her figures, these stream-of-consciousness text panels are hard to pin down. Containing elusive sentences, phrases, stories and objects, they encourage free association between image, language and memory.

Watson describes her work as ‘post-conceptual.’ Her pared-back expressionism is characterised by an urgency of execution that allows for direct communication unhindered by formal conventions. Her resulting figures evince a powerful emotional energy. Inhabiting large vistas of decorative fabric that amplify their interiority, they occupy a floating world.   

While these spaces are empty, they are by no means neutral. Utilising a signature star organza found in Hong Kong, the physical material of the paintings is crucial to Watson’s practice. Primed with rabbit skin glue, predominantly for aesthetic purposes, she treats the fabrics or ‘cultural quotients’  as source material, their historical resonance providing a starting point for the work.  

Often, Watson’s canvases evoke a floaty feminism. Sometimes sweet, she’s never saccharine; witness Small Gold Hobbled’s bound feet or the sentiments of Transgression and Deny Me. Like poetry, her paintings are stripped to spare, symbolic essentials.  Their wistful naivety encourages examination of our own interior states.

—Serena Bentley


In 1993, Jenny Watson represented Australia at the Venice Biennale.  She has been included in many important exhibitions internationally for over twenty years including Prospect 1993 at the Shirn Kunsthalle and Popism, curated by Paul Taylor, at the National Gallery of Victoria in 1982, as well as numerous biennales.  In 2003 she had a solo exhibition at the Yokohama Museum of Art in Japan.  Her works are held in every major public collection in Australia and many overseas collections.  Jenny Watson has exhibited with Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery since 1982.

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Jenny Watson Horse around, 2007; Part 1: oil and acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over damask, 280 x 126 cm
Part 2: acrylic on prepared oval stretcher, 36 x 28 cm
; enquire
Horse around, 2007
Part 1: oil and acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over damask, 280 x 126 cm Part 2: acrylic on prepared oval stretcher, 36 x 28 cm
Jenny Watson Self portrait as an ipod ad, 2007; Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 128 x 77 cm
Part 2: acrylic on prepared square stretcher, 30 x 30 cm
; enquire
Self portrait as an ipod ad, 2007
Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 128 x 77 cm Part 2: acrylic on prepared square stretcher, 30 x 30 cm
Jenny Watson Sensurround, 2007; Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin primed Chinese organza over damask, 155 x 125 cm
Part 2: acrylic on prepared oval stretcher, 30.5 x 22.5 cm
; enquire
Sensurround, 2007
Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin primed Chinese organza over damask, 155 x 125 cm Part 2: acrylic on prepared oval stretcher, 30.5 x 22.5 cm
Jenny Watson A beautiful day in Paris, 2006; Part 1: oil and acrylic on Chinese cotton with Chinese organza overlay, 180 x 75 cm
Part 2: acrylic on prepared oval stretcher, 20 x 15 cm
; enquire
A beautiful day in Paris, 2006
Part 1: oil and acrylic on Chinese cotton with Chinese organza overlay, 180 x 75 cm Part 2: acrylic on prepared oval stretcher, 20 x 15 cm
Jenny Watson Transgression, 2005; Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over nursery pattern cotton, 271x 95 cm
Part 2: acrylic paint and hair knot on prepared oval stretcher, 51 × 41 cm
; enquire
Transgression, 2005
Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over nursery pattern cotton, 271x 95 cm Part 2: acrylic paint and hair knot on prepared oval stretcher, 51 × 41 cm
Jenny Watson Small gold hobbled, 2007; Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 107 x 80 cm 
Part 2: acrylic on prepared square stretcher, 36 x 25 cm  
; enquire
Small gold hobbled, 2007
Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 107 x 80 cm Part 2: acrylic on prepared square stretcher, 36 x 25 cm
Jenny Watson Dolly mop, 2007; Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 185 x 80 cm
Part 2: acrylic on prepared stretcher, 36 x 25 cm
; enquire
Dolly mop, 2007
Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 185 x 80 cm Part 2: acrylic on prepared stretcher, 36 x 25 cm
Jenny Watson Deny me, 2007; Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 220 x 115 cm
Part 2: acrylic and velvet ribbon on prepared stretcher, 40 x 30 cm
; enquire
Deny me, 2007
Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 220 x 115 cm Part 2: acrylic and velvet ribbon on prepared stretcher, 40 x 30 cm
Jenny Watson White horse / dead tree, 2007; Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 215 x 120 cm
Part 2: acrylic on prepared stretcher, 36 x 25 cm
Part 3: acrylic on prepared stretcher, 36 x 25 cm
; enquire
White horse / dead tree, 2007
Part 1: acrylic on rabbit skin glue primed Chinese organza over Chinese cotton, 215 x 120 cm Part 2: acrylic on prepared stretcher, 36 x 25 cm Part 3: acrylic on prepared stretcher, 36 x 25 cm