Penelope Gottlieb’s paintings use John James Audubon’s nature prints as a discourse on the commoditization of the natural world in the 19th century. Painting over preexisting Audubon prints, Gottlieb adds plant life winding around the featured animal as if the creature’s natural habitat has stifled them in a botanical confinement. The resulting blend of historical documentation of avian species with the invasion of plant-life creates a contemporary view on the original intent of the prints. Gottlieb’s marking over the prints acts as an additional invasion on top of her ecological critique of the artistic consumption of nature.

Penelope Gottlieb received her BFA from Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA and her MFA from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her work has been shown in solo exhibitions at Lotusland, Montecito, CA; Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, NV; Heather James Fine Art, Palm Desert, CA; Lightbox Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, and at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum among others. Additionally, her work has been included in group exhibitions at the Peggy Phelps Gallery, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA; Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, and the Ben Maltz Gallery, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA., among others. 

Heather James Fine Art is located at 172 Center Street in Jackson and is home to an international fine art collection spanning thousands of years. With galleries located in Palm Desert, CA and Jackson, WY, Heather James Fine Art presents a leading collection of celebrated pieces from antiquity to contemporary. For more information about the gallery and upcoming exhibitions, please visit our website www.heatherjames.com or contact the gallery at 307-200-6090.