MARCUS ANTONIUS JANSEN - Urban painter

MARCUS ANTONIUS JANSEN
born 1968 in New York City

With a keen awareness of his surroundings he creates a surreal urban like atmosphere filled with subconscious revelations that foretell of a future fraught with consequence. Violent brushstrokes, changing textures, and instinctive contrast of color reflect an explosive spontaneity that is the direct and raw effect of emotion.

Jansen's Intellectually provocative and paradoxical work encourages discourse among viewers. Inspired by political and social events of today, he paints his own interpretations as he tries to separate truth from fiction in a world of increasing disinformation. His paintings ask us to look at the world in a new way and to consider not only our interdependence, but also the universal nature of our existence. We are forced to recognize the repercussions of our own apathy and then ask ourselves what are our responsibilities and how much are we willing to sacrifice.

Jansen continues to remind us that progress has a price. In his most recent work, the streets are now filled with the crumbling infrastructure of a previous generation. Isolated figures walk in the aftermath without refuge from the surveillance of new world technology. Spotlights illuminate the scenery, as the stage is set for a virtual wasteland rich in metaphorical imagery.

Cornered pigs wait with targets on their back, as we crossover into Jansen’s suburban landscapes and are confronted with foreclosed homes, receding farms and the scattered debris of industry. A school bus careens head on into a collision, the wheels no longer turning. Sheep graze in once green pastures replaced with the urban sprawl of the forgotten cities.
The themes that run through Jansen’s work are vast in scope and are indicative of his insightful ability to see the correlations that connect them. Genetically modified food, the degradation of education, corporate greed, and global dominance are just a few. In his work lies a deeply rooted spirituality that becomes evident by his willingness to explore the unknown. He brings our attention to the things we would normally overlook, while reminding us that within our struggle resides beauty.

Shin-Young An ... Limb series

Serious artists are constantly reinventing themselves, as they strive to achieve an illusive vision of "great art". Often, world and national events impose an emotional response on the artist, who is otherwise powerless to influence such events. The canvas can become the artist's vehicle of expression.

I am an artist in transition. In the past, I have attempted to faithfully record my subject, with an emotional response limited only to that subject. In portraiture, for example, the challenge has been to produce a work that reflects my response to the personality of the sitter. I can no longer ignore the effect that outside events are having on me.
I am now attempting to do paintings that convey my emotional response to such events. It is not always easy to move away from that which you are comfortable with to explore a new area. In life, one needs to progress and let go of the past, in order to achieve something greater. I hope I am worthy of this new challenge.

"My most recent work has given me the opportunity to comment on social, political and environmental issues through the interaction of portraits and limbs painted against a backdrop of current news articles that have touched me."