R. Allen Jensen

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R. Allen Jensen was an American artist in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. He was an influential teacher and prolific creator whose work received attention at established exhibition venues before he left the competitive art world to focus on teaching and creating art. Jensen's work may be described as mixed media assemblages that engage the viewer in a playful yet serious conversation on the subject of death.[1]

Biography

R. Allen Jensen was born October 29, 1935, in Denver, Colorado.

In 1960, Jensen earned a BA in Art Education from the University of Washington. In 1962 he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Washington State University.

Jensen was hired for a teaching position in the Department of Art at Western Washington State College (now Western Washington University) in 1965. Jensen became tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Art at Western in 1973 and taught there until retiring professor emeritus in 1997.[2]

Jensen established his home and studio in Stanwood, Washington. Despite loss of vision, his studio practice continued until a few days before his death.[3]

Career

Jensen was curated into established exhibitions in the Pacific Northwest throughout the 1960s.[4][5]

In 1969 author Tom Robbins, then a regional art critic, identified Jensen as one of the most promising young artists in the Northwest.[6] Jensen gaining notoriety for his portraiture.[7] His work was included in the West Coast regional exhibition West Coast Now, shown at the Portland Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the de Young Museum in San Francisco, and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.[8]

Noted Pacific Northwest artist Morris Graves once said of Jensen's work, "It is elegant, truly elegant with surfaces as exquisite as the old masters."[9]

The suicide of Jensen's father's in 1971 was a factor in his subsequent artistic journey into the topic of death,[10] with images based on myth or biblical imagery and use of unexpected materials.[11] For Jensen, the creation of new pieces often involved dismantling previously completed works for their components and materials.[12]

Jensen maintained a presence in the Pacific Northwest throughout the 1970s including the Governor's Invitational Art Exhibition in Olympia, Washington.[13] In 1973 Jensen was included in the documentary Artists of Skagit Valley, produced by the Seattle Art Museum.[14] Two of his works were included in the 1973 juried 58th Northwest Annual at the Seattle Art Museum.[15]

Throughout the 1970s Jensen’s work was a part of exhibitions and one-person shows at the Seattle Art Museum, the Museum of Northwest Art, the Henry Art Gallery|Henry Gallery, and the Tacoma Art Museum.[16] He participated in the Washington State 1% for the Arts Program,[17] winning 3 commissions.[18] One such commission, "Stroke,"[19] is located at the Green Lake Aqua Theatre in Seattle, Washington.[20]File:R. Allen Jensen working.jpg|alt=Bob in his studio|thumb|451x451px|R. Allen Jensen in his studio 2018 In the early 1980s Jensen exhibited his work outside of Seattle,[21] including one-person shows at the Museum of Northwest Art[22] and the Whatcom Museum.

In the late 1980s Jensen held private showings of work in his Stanwood studio as well as public exhibitions in Seattle galleries.[23][24]

In his late career Jensen focused on private commissions and showing his work in Skagit Valley venues.

Works

References

  1. ↑ P-I Art Critic, Regina Hackett. "R. ALLEN JENSEN'S WORK SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR STORM AND STRESS." Seattle Post Intelligencer, FINAL ed., sec. Entertainment, 17 Dec. 1986, p. C9.
  2. ↑ "R. Allen Jensen, Professor Emeritus | College of Fine and Performing Arts | Western Washington University". cfpa.wwu.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  3. ↑ "Remembering the life of Robert Jensen 1935 - 2022". obituaries.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  4. ↑ Seattle Magazine 1967-08: Vol 4 Issue 41 page 11-13
  5. ↑ Seattle Post-Intellig encer, SUNRISE ed., 28 Oct. 1964, p. 16.
  6. ↑ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Three Star ed., 9 Mar. 1969, p. 191.
  7. ↑ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Four Star ed., 18 Dec. 1968, p. 34.
  8. ↑ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sunrise ed., 19 Mar. 1968, p. 22.
  9. ↑ October 16, 1966 | Seattle Post-Intelligencer (published as SEATTLE Sunday Post-Intelligencer) | Seattle, Washing ton | Page 19
  10. ↑ https://cfpa.wwu.edu/news/memoriam-r-allen-jensen
  11. ↑ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, One Star ed., 25 Nov. 1980, p. 13.
  12. ↑ Seattle Daily Times , Night Sports Final ed., 12 May 1975, p. 22.
  13. ↑ The Olympian (Olympia, Washington) · 8 Mar 1970, Sun · Page 22
  14. ↑ https://archive.org/details/1016-sam-skagit-8-44-154
  15. ↑ Seattle Daily Times , 14 Jan. 1973, p. 136.
  16. ↑ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, One Star ed., 16 May 1975, p. 54.
  17. ↑ https://www.arts.wa.gov/
  18. ↑ "Artist Collection".
  19. ↑ "Stroke".
  20. ↑ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, One Star ed., 9 Jan. 1980, p. 14.
  21. ↑ P-I Art Critic, Regina Hackett. "R. ALLEN JENSEN'S WORK SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR STORM AND STRESS." Seattle Post-Intelligencer, FINAL ed., sec. Entertainment, 17 Dec. 1986, p. C9.
  22. ↑ "R. Allen Jensen".
  23. ↑ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 28 Nov. 1987, p. 17.
  24. ↑ P-I Art Critic, Regina Hackett. "R. ALLEN JENSEN'S WORK SETS A NEW STANDARD FOR STORM AND STRESS." Seattle Post-Intelligencer, FINAL ed., sec. Entertainment, 17 Dec. 1986, p. C9.
  25. ↑ "Slaughtered Cow".
  26. ↑ "Hands over the Shoulders Study".
  27. ↑ "R. Allen Jensen".
  28. ↑ Seattle Post-Intellig encer, SUNRISE ed., 28 Oct. 1964, p. 16.

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