Jenna Gribbon's life as a figurative painter made a sharp turn in 2017, when she was 38. It took me so long to understand myself and my sexuality, she tells me, and that could be attributed in large part to the lack of images of women in relationships with each other. There's a bit more history of gay men depicting and depicted in romantic situations, but I'd seen so few examples when I was growing up of queer identity among women. I wanted to make work that was impactful, but also more direct and more pleasurable, she says.
Jenna had been married to and divorced from a man, Matthew Gribbon, and she was then living with her partner, the novelist Julian Tepper, and their son, Silas. (Jenna and Julian were not married and had an open relationship.) It was at this moment that she met Mackenzie Scott, the indie-rock singer and composer known as Torres. Scott, who is 12 years younger, became her lover and main subject.
When I visit Gribbon in late August, she leads me to her Brooklyn studio through a magical secret garden with tall trees, low stone walls, and gravel paths. We head down a flight of steps into a smallish, double-height room with a skylight.
This story is from the December 2022 edition of Vogue US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2022 edition of Vogue US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Nothing Like Her
Billie Eilish was adored by millions before she fully understood who she was. Now, as she sets out on tour without her family for the first time, she is finally getting to know herself.
Coming Up Rosy - The new blush isn't just for the cheek. Coco Mellors feels the flush.
If the eyes are the window to the soul, then our cheeks are the back door. What other part of the body so readily reveals our hidden emotions? Embarrassment, exuberance, delight, desire, all instantly communicated with a rush of blood. It's no wonder that blush has been a mainstay of makeup bags for decades: Ancient Egyptians used ground ochre to heighten their color; Queen Elizabeth I dabbed her cheeks with red dye and mercuric sulfide (which, combined with the vinegar and lead concoction she used to achieve her ivory pallor, is believed to have given her blood poisoning); flappers applied blush in dramatic circles to achieve a doll-like complexion, even adding it to their knees to draw attention to their shorter hemlines
Different Stages
A trio of novels spirits you far away.
The Wizard
Paul Tazewell’s costumes for the film adaptation of Wicked conjure their own kind of magic.
THE SEA, THE SEA
A story of survival on a whaling ship sets sail on Broadway. Robert Sullivan meets the crew behind the rousing folk musical Swept Away.
STAGING A COMEBACK
Harlem's National Black Theatre has been a storied arts institution in need of support. A soaring new home is shaping its future.
Simon Says
Simon Porte Jacquemus, much like his label, resonates with the sunny, breezy French South-but behind the good life, as Nathan Heller discovers, is a laser focus and a shoulder-to-the-wheel work ethic.
MOTHER SUPERIOR
The character of Rose in Gypsy is the acting Everest for many one-name acting legends. This fall, Audra McDonald takes it on.
WALK THIS WAY
THE FASHION FOR OUR FUTURE MARCH HAD A SINGULAR PURPOSE: TO GET OUT THE VOTE.
Written in Stones (and Etched in Metal)
Three years after taking the reins at Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy unveils his first fine jewelry collection.