James Jensen

Casper Milk Toast + zoom	Royal Atlas + zoom	Univeral Standard + zoom	ADM Milling Co. + zoom
Alberta Distillers + zoom	Clare + zoom	Dream in Yellow + zoom	Power Plug + zoom
World of Science + zoom

What is your artwork about (underlying concept, focus, themes, intent, etc)?

Much of my recent work reflects an increasing interest in exterior urban western spaces, especially the fixtures they contain. This includes electrical poles, highway ramps and industrial buildings. I am fascinated by their sense of permanence and at the same time, the antagonistic relationship these structures have with the landscape. They are visually contentious, veiling the land with concrete, steel and lumber. Indeed they become a counterfeit landscape, and it seems impossible to imagine what the space looked like before their arrival.

Some recent prints are more concerned with the immediacy of drawing and the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated images. The playful layouts allow for multiple interpretations. Some elements are mundane (such as buildings and electrical poles), and others are fictional (fantastical creatures). This is intended to simulate our true experiences as human beings: the constant blending of real and imagined, objectivity and metaphor.

What informs your artwork or what are your influences?

These works borrow some of their aesthetic from comic books and sketchbook pages. Sometimes I use old wallpaper patterns for colour combination ideas.

What matters to you most about the work that you do?

That I am having fun, otherwise it's not worth doing. It is important to me that my work isn't too forced or pre-planned. I also strive to try something new with each piece, and not get too complacent doing the same thing over and over.

Do you feel you need to position your work within the context of art history and if so what's your take on that?

No. Although I embrace the Andy Warhol, pop-art context screen-printed artworks reside in.

Is there a trigger or a starting point for each piece?

I jot ideas down in my sketchbook. Ideas can come to me at any time, but usually when I am in a relaxed state. Whenever I start on a new piece, I pillage my sketchbook and work on the idea that most intrigues me at the time.

How has your work evolved over the last five years?

Yes, quite a bit. Five years ago I was just printing on plain paper. Now I am experimenting with printing on collage, found materials, and vinyl LP records. My work is also increasingly based on drawing.

What is currently the central motivation for or conceptual concern in your work?

Aside from what I've already explained above, the newest works are based on experimentation, graphic impact, and non-traditional printing surfaces.

How does your physical/geographical environment inform the work you do?

Certainly with the industrial building portraits: our studio is located in the heart of Ogden industrial park. I have grown to love the buildings and industrial detritus.

What mediums, techniques, or processes are involved in your art making (and why these)?

A large amount of my work utilizes the screen printing process. The strengths of screen printing lies in its ability to reproduce crisp, flat colour images in multiples. In order for complex images to be created, colours must be built up in a summation of layers. This process provides not only the means, but also the inspiration for my work. When I choose a subject for a piece, it must be interpreted and transformed in order to work with the process. To underline this, I will often incorporate registration marks into the finished work. Small squares of colour are lined up, in the order they were printed. In this way, the viewer is privy to the recipe of the artwork and is made aware of the illusory process by which it was created.

Screen printing is also used extensively for commercial purposes. While it used to be the preferred process for printing everything from boxes to posters, it is now reserved primarily for t-shirts, specialty items such as mugs and pens, and signage. Thus, my finished prints often have a manufactured feel about them. The edition may be unique, but each print is not. Although I primarily use hand-made marks to create my images, they are subsequently filtered through a process that distances the human origins from the final piece.

What are your other passions in life and how have these influenced your work?

I love hanging out, conversation, reading, playing frisbee with my dog, snowboarding, skateboarding, video games and comic books. I guess I am just a big kid. I think not growing up has been a positive influence on my work by allowing me to play.

Why are you an artist?

It's fun to see an artwork take shape. I like it when pieces turn out how I expect them to, but also when they create unexpected results. Exchanging opinions and ideas with fellow artists is another enjoyable aspect.

Education/Professional Experience

• Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts, Alberta College of Art and Design, 1997.
• Diploma in Visual Arts (Printmaking), Alberta College of Art and Design, 1996.

Awards/Scholarships

• ACAD Board of Governor's Award nominee (1996).
• Received Alberta Foundation for the Arts study grant for the 1994/95 study period.

Selected Exhibitions

Memberships

• Founding member of Burnt Toast Studio, a printmakers' artist collective.

Publications

• Artichoke Magazine, 2003
• Beyond Magazine, 2004
• News @ ACAD, 2005