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Artist Marcus Jansen FROM PRINCE STREET SIDEWALKS TO GLOBAL MUSEUMS

BY BENNETT MARCUS

documentary by Emmy-winning filmmaker John Scoular, Dieter Rampl, Chairman of Hypo Kunsthalle, Munich, said of Jansen, “When I was in New York, it was the time of Basquiat and Warhol; I couldn’t compare him to anybody, alive or dead.” The film is available on Amazon Prime TV.

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Military Service: Gulf War

Born in NYC in 1968, Jansen grew up in the Bronx and Queens, then later in Germany, his father’s homeland, where he experienced racism and bullying as a mixed-race child in a small town. It was during summers visiting family back in New York that he encountered graffiti, realizing its potential as an art form useful for communication. “I can’t say that I saw art as a possible profession until the 1980s, when graffiti emerged as an art form,” he says. As an adult, Jansen spent a decade serving in the US Military, including in the first Gulf War. His experience during the Desert Storm offensive spurred him to change his mode of expression. Having been discharged from military service, he took a leap, transitioning to serving in the arts and humanities. “I felt both were forms of service, but I chose the peaceful one of the two. I was willing to risk the jump, even if it meant selling paintings for $50 apiece for the rest of my life.”

He describes painting as “the most intimate act of war.” “Painting is a form of conflict,” Jansen says. “It’s a form of destruction in order to come to a new consensus. It’s an intellectual, psychological, and even physical battle with whatever tools you choose on canvas or other materials. It’s also a spiritual battle from within.” In those early days, he worked double shifts bartending on Long Island on weekends to be able to show his work during the week on Prince Street.

Career Highlights – Warner Brothers, John Ortiz, Absolut & Ford

Some moments that Jansen considers highlights of his career include his first solo museum exhibition, in 2016 at La Triennale, in Milan, Italy. Another that he holds dear is when he sold his first cardboard painting to Hollywood actor and star of The Cloverfield Paradox, John Ortiz, in 1999. “He stopped by my street corner where I was standing showing my work. I was just starting out, and later Absolut Vodka, Ford Motor Company, and Warner Brothers commissioned me for paintings. It’s these moments that pushed my career further.”

Shanghai Exhibition

Another career first is happening right now, with Jansen’s first-ever solo exhibition in China, at Almine Rech in Shanghai through the Spring of 2023. Titled “In the Land of Silhouettes,” the works were all created in 2022, mostly after Hurricane Ian, which had a devastating effect on Florida, where Jansen has a studio, in Fort Myers. Therefore, the environment was very much on his mind while creating the Shanghai show, which comprises landscapes and work from his faceless portrait series.

Marcus Jansen Foundation Fund

Marcus and his wife, Sabrina, are the founders of the Marcus Jansen Foundation Fund, which focuses on assisting and providing exposure for marginalized, economically disadvantaged community organizations. Based in Fort Myers, Florida, the foundation opened in 2019 to help marginalized children in the arts, children with autism, and veterans with PTSD. They’ve collaborated with the Richard Beavers Gallery to donate to the Mott Haven Fridge Network, now called Grassroots Grocery, in the South Bronx, which works with communities to get fresh food to those who need it. The foundation most recently helped in relief efforts for Southwest Florida artists and marginal communities severely impacted by Hurricane Ian. marcusjansenfoundation.org

Upcoming

In addition to the Shanghai exhibit, Jansen’s work will be shown at Expo Chicago in April, with Richard Beavers Gallery. Jansen has also partnered with Avant Arte to release a limitededition print of one of his works later this year. P

@marcusjansenofficial marcusjansen.com

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