Marcus Jansen's Expressionism Today: Urban, Socio-Political Paintings opens at 4 p.m. on March 15 at BIG Arts on Sanibel Island. His ARTSalon will be followed by a free reception for the artist starting at 5:30 in BIG ARTS' Phillips Gallery.
Jansen is widely regarded by critics and art historians as a leader and visionary in modern urban expressionism, a fusion of modern-style graffiti, cubist influence and cultural rebellion. Described by The New York Times as “surrealistic asphalt jungles,” Jansen’s modern urban landscapes are on permanent display at The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri, New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Connecticut, and The Moscow Museum of Modern Art in Russia.
A product of the 1980s New York City graffiti art scene, Jansen’s unconventional style and approach have earned him acclaim in Forbes, The Kuwait Times, ARTNews and Art in America Magazine. In 2011, Jansen was selected by Absolut Vodka to design a bottle label in the style of his artwork as part of Absolut’s Blank campaign to spotlight the next generation of artists. Jansen’s expressionistic sensibility has also been used over the years by brands as diverse as Warner Brothers, Ford Motor Company, FIFA World Cup and Illuminum Perfume.
Jansen’s latest project, Unit A Contemporary Art Space, is a 7,000 square-foot warehouse exhibition environment located in downtown Fort Myers that displays new and selected works from the artist’s permanent collection, including Creeping Obstacles in Kansas, which appeared on the cover of New American Paintings in 2011 and made Jansen the first Florida artist to ever be featured on its cover.
Artist Maia Tsinamdzgvrishvili's Silk Road exhibit will also be on display in BIG ARTs' Founders Gallery.
Consisting of the Marks Box Office, Phillips and Founders Galleries, and Schein Performance Hall, Big ARTS is located off Periwinkle Drive on Sanibel Island. For more information, please visit www.bigarts.org or telephone 239-472-9700.
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