Reilly Jensen: Eldermaxxing (Artist Q&A)

Exhibition Schedule: July 2 - August 14, 2026 Opening: Thursday, July 2, 6:00 — 8:00pm Second Reception: Thursday, August 6, 6:00 – 8:00pm Informal Artist Q&A: Saturday, July 25, 11:00-12:00pm Stop by for a casual Q&A with Jensen during Seattle Art Fair weekend. Gallery open 10:00am – 1:00pm. Challenging the endless stream of digital content at our fingertips, Reilly Jensen’s new work is a tangible reflection of our wild, curious, and absurd day-to-day that resonates across generations. "Eldermaxxing" (for boomers) This body of work came kicking and screaming into my brain. There was a moment, having looked in the mirror, that I realized that OLD LADY is ME! The epiphany sparked a conversation with myself. The work reflects a blend of nostalgia, imagination, and sometimes cynicism. I explore things that variously make me laugh or make me snark; it’s officially the “GET OFF MY LAWN” stage of life! We now navigate the barrage of nonstop backlit, front-lit, side-lit and deeply SLICK-A-FIED content swirling in our collective everyday. My work is my joy. I stitch utilitarian fabrics and add rusty, jewel-like junk that has been collecting dust for years. These materials possess a physical quality, a patina, and an imagined history like the wrinkles on my face. They ask the viewer to behold the dignity in human touch and the sturdiness of the physical world. "Eldermaxxing" (for Gen Zers) this whole thing started when the mirror basically hard-launched me as unc... no teaser trailer just jump-cut to wrinkles and vibes now my brain is low-key one long group chat where nostalgia, feral imagination, and “ok but actually i’m tired” all talk over each other i stab plain fabric with tiny stitches then glue on rusty goblin treasure that’s been loitering in my studio like “hey bestie we survived” it’s all outsider junk and human fingerprints saying: please look up from the doomscroll and touch grass before we all turn into npcs eldermaxxing is giving grandma sweater/static shock/minor glitch in the timeline

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