ON VIEW
Art of James Christensen
What:
Giclees (a digital process that sprays inks on canvas), sculptures, books and posters featuring Christensen's fantasy artwork.
When:
Through Saturday, Nov. 20.
Where:
Gallery One, 7003 Center St., Mentor.
Tickets:
Free. Go to
or call 440-255-1200.
Renaissance Old Masters, J.R.R. Tolkien and the art of "Conan the Barbarian" come together in James Christensen's whimsical yet thoughtful artwork. Reading Tolkien and C.S. Lewis gave him permission as a young man to pursue fantasy subjects visually, a conviction that "grown-ups can do this."
Christensen's subjects range from fairies and fish that swim through the air to "cast of thousands" paintings based on biblical parables. He has won art honors at several World Science Fiction Conventions and from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. He has taught art professionally for more than 20 years.
Christensen visited Gallery One in Mentor recently, and explained the Poofy Guy, a dangerous fairy, what women really want and why fish float through air.
"Lawrence Pretended Not to Notice That a Bear Had Become Attached to His Coattail" by James C. Christensen."Lawrence Pretended Not to Notice That a Bear Had Become Attached to His Coattail"
This painting often elicits smiles, but for Christensen, the bear represents problems in life that we don't want to deal with. Christensen often puts his figures in ornate clothes that are fantastic versions of Renaissance garb. His outfits are sewn based on photographs he has taken at Renaissance fairs near his home outside Salt Lake City. He asks models to wear the clothes so he can capture how the fabric lies. "I'm not interested in painting a guy in black spandex," he said.
"Poofy Guy on a Short Leash" by James C. Christensen."Poofy Guy on a Short Leash"
Christensen admits that he is the air-headed Poofy Guy and that his wife, Carole, keeps him tethered to earth. "Yeah, that's marriage. All men need a good woman who hangs onto their string," he said. "I would float up in the sky until I popped." His daughter-in-law modeled for the painting. Many of the patterns seen in Poofy Guy's clothes -- the multiple layers signal his self-importance -- come from the wallpaper pattern books the artist uses as reference material.
"Fiona: by James C. Christensen."Fiona"
There isn't anything Disneylike about this beautiful and dangerous fairy. At a distance, her dress appears to be rags. Up close, the viewer sees that it's woven from leaves, bugs, flowers and toads to signify the fairy's affinity with nature. Fish floating in air is a motif that appears often in Christensen's work. It signals that the viewer has stepped outside of the real world and symbolizes the presence of magic. Christensen creates his originals in acrylics with oil glazes.
"A Place of Her Own" by James C. Christensen."A Place of Her Own"
Look closely at the room's furnishings, and you'll spot a volume of Shakespeare, an illuminated page, a wall tapestry, a Rembrandt painting and an old map -- all evidence of Christensen's love of the Renaissance. His wife's book club inspired him to create "an ideal, magical place where a woman could lose herself and read," he said. The pillows and rug are like ones in his house.