PAUL JENKINS Abstract Phenomenist
Phenomena Celtic Fire Torc (Detail)
PAUL JENKINS
(1923-2012)
Abstract Phenomenist
Stern Pissarro Gallery 66, St. Jame’s Street, London SW1A 1NE, UK Tel.: +44 (0)20 7629 6662, stern@pissarro.com, www.pissarro.art
INTRODUCTION We have been exhibiting works by the American abstract expressionist artist Paul Jenkins (1923-2012) for many years now and having created a beautiful selection of works for sale, we would like to share these paintings with you. Jenkins was a multi-media artist, poet, and playwright. He often titled his works Phenomena, meaning something that can exist and be observed happening. His way of painting was a meditative process, pouring delicately intense colours of paint, creating layers which have a translucency both in his oil paintings, acrylics and watercolours. By using an ivory knife, he controlled the direction of the paint. He used to prime his canvases before pouring the paint, allowing the paint to remain on the surface and not soak into the canvas. Paul Jenkins studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and the Art Students League in New York City. He also spent four years studying with Japanese American artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi in New York City. Amongst his closest colleagues in his earliest days were Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and Barnett Newman, and later on he shared a studio in Paris with Sam Francis. Jenkins had a fascination for spirituality and mysticism. For him, painting was a spiritual meditation on the nature of chance, balance, synchronicity, change and transformation. His first solo exhibitions were held at Studio Paul Facchetti in Paris in 1954 and the Martha Graham Gallery in New York City in 1956, and late in the 50s both the Whitney Museum and Peggy Guggenheim purchased works by him for their collections. Over the years, Jenkins had countless solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world including France, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom. He widely exhibited across the United States, and he also enjoyed great international exposure in Japan, South Korea, amongst others.
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Installation view, Stern Pissarro Gallery, London
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Detail
Phenomena High Born Acrylic on canvas 91.44 x 50.8 cm (36 x 20 inches) Signed lower left, Jenkins Signed, dated and titled on the reverse Executed in 1964 4
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Phenomena Spectrum Guardian Acrylic on canvas 76 x 101.5 cm (29 7/8 x 40 inches) Signed lower middle, Paul Jenkins Executed in 1970 6
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Phenomena Winter Harth Oil and sand on canvas 66 x 122 cm (26 x 48 inches) Signed, titled and dated on the reverse, Paul Jenkins “Phenomena Winter Harth� 1978 8
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Phenomena Cross Beam Light Acrylic on canvas 165.1 x 96.5 cm (65 x 38 inches) Signed lower left, Paul Jenkins Signed, dated 1979 and titled on the stretcher Executed in 1979 Provenance The Elaine Horwitch Galleries, Scottsdale, Arizona Private collection, USA 10
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Horizon Line Oil on canvas 32.5 x 24 cm (12 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches) Signed Paul Jenkins, titled and dated Paris 1984 on the reverse Provenance Private collection, France, acquired directly from the artist Private collection, France, thence by descent 12
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Detail
Phenomena Prism Mirror Acrylic on canvas 147.3 x 104 cm (58 x 41 inches) Signed lower left, Paul Jenkins Signed, titled and dated on reverse Executed in 1984 14
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Phenomena Prism Shadow Acrylic on canvas 99 x 99 cm (39 x 39 inches) Signed lower left, Paul Jenkins; signed, titled and dated on the reverse Executed in 1986 Provenance Irving Galleries, Palm Beach, Florida Private collection, Florida 16
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Phenomena White of the Tiger Acrylic on canvas 97 x 130 cm (38 1/4 x 51 1/8 inches) Signed lower left, Paul Jenkins Titled and dated 1987 on the reverse Provenance Private collection, France 18
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Phenomena like Byron Oil on canvas 74 x 60 cm (29 1/8 x 23 5/8 inches) Signed lower left, Paul Jenkins Signed, titled and dated on the reverse and on the stretcher Executed in 1990, Saint Paul Provenance Waterhouse & Dodd Fine Art, London/New York Private collection, Europe, acquired from the above in 2012 Private collection, Austria 20
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Phenomena Celtic Fire Torc Acrylic on canvas 76 x 61 cm (29 7/8 x 24 inches) Signed lower left, Paul Jenkins Signed, dated and titled on the reverse Executed in 1995 Provenance Private collection, Germany 22
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Please note all the works are available for sale and can be viewed on our website www.pissarro.art For any enquiries, email us at stern@pissarro.com
Paul Jenkins in front of one of his large-scale paintings (credits: Philippe Huguen/ Agence France-Press)
Stern Pissarro Gallery www.pissarro.art stern@pissarro.com +44 (0)20 7629 6662