Drawing for Shamen

Bill JensenWW-1975-089842

1975·Graphite frottage, and tempera on ivory tracing paper, hinged to heavy white wove paper·60.3 × 47.9 cm (23 3/4 × 18 7/8 in.)

<p>The application of tempera on vellum produces a textured surface on which the pigment is unevenly distributed, leaving areas where the white of the paper underneath is visible. The abstract form occupying the center of the picture space resembles an animal's paw. The merging of organic and geometric forms and the references to shamanism and the bestial imbue the image with a spirituality reminiscent of Native American beliefs. Bill Jensen's artwork is characterized by its transcendental quality. His drawings typically serve as studies for and after paintings, making this work a prime example of his working method and style.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1975
Medium: Graphite frottage, and tempera on ivory tracing paper, hinged to heavy white wove paper
Dimensions: 60.3 × 47.9 cm (23 3/4 × 18 7/8 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Bill Jensen

Artist

Bill Jensen

Painting

Considered a third generation [Abstract Expressionist](/gene/abstract-expressionism) painter, Bill Jensen made canvasses, often inspired by Chinese poetry and Buddhism, that sought to ignite areas of psyche and memory and create powerful emotional connections. [Albert Pinkham Ryder](/artist/albert-pinkham-ryder), [Marsden Hartley](/artist/marsden-hartley), [Arthur Dove](/artist/arthur-dove), and [Clyfford Still](/artist/clyfford-still) are all touchstones for Jensen’s vigorous, landscape-like abstractions, where shape, line, and intense color follow unpredictable yet harmonious paths. Unlike many of the painters of his generation, Jensen has not developed and maintained a signature style, but prefers to let the process of making each piece determine the direction of the image. 'Change is good for art but hard on the artist," he says. "I feel that serious artists go into the studio day after day and let the art slowly take them, sometimes kicking and screaming, into new territories."

Minneapolis, MN, USA

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