Marcus Jansen, b. 1968, New York, New York is a cartographer of conflict. He has been called a pioneer in
redefining urban landscape painting and often referred to as an urban or neo-expressionist painter. A former soldier and world traveler since the age of one year old, Jansen was first influenced by an emerging and rebellious Graffiti art movement from New York City in the 1980’s. His first major International book was published by art book publisher SKIRA Editore, Milan Italy and is titled, “Marcus Jansen – DECADE” where he joined other book titles of expressive painters like Julian Schnabel, Jean Michel Basquiat, Francis Bacon and others. His book contains a foreword by notorious London Art Dealer, Steve Lazarides, also known as Banksy’s first agent and commentary by Italian art critic Paolo Manazza and by art historian Dr Brooke Lynn Mcgowan.
Discovered and mentored by former Museum Director Jerome A. Donson, (Director of the American Vanguard Exhibitions Europe 1961), who was responsible for preparing exhibitions for artists like Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline, referred to Jansen’s work as being “reminiscent of the Ash-Can School and as the “innovator” of modern expressionism.
Among Jansen’s International prizes was being a selected Fnalist for the 12th International Print & Drawing Biennale in Taiwan and the Fleurieu Art Prize 2013 Biennale, Australia; noted as the highest valued landscape painting prize in the world by Nigel Hurst, Director and Chief Executive, Saatchi Gallery London in 2013. Jansen was invited to show at the largest Urban Art Biennale in Europe “Cityleaks” in Cologne, Germany and is a two time Alumni Artist at the Alumni publication New American Paintings No 94 and No 124.
Jansen was raised between New York City and Moenchengladbach, Germany where he studied briefly at the
Kunstgewerbe Schule the Berufsfachschule fuer Gestaltung and completed a three year craft as a commercial house painter (Maler). Later after his Military discharge, Jansen started selling paintings on the streets of New York, transforming his life from serving in War to a professional painter. His works are included in the U.S. Department of State, Art in Embassies Program, UNESCO in Paris France, listed in Who’s Who in American Art. His Museum collections include the Moscow Museum of Modern Art (MMOMA), Russia, The New Britain Museum of American Art, The PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art, The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art, Taiwan and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.
Corporate commissions include Absolut Vodka, Warner Brother, Illuminum, FIFA and Ford Motor Company.
Jansen’s traveling solo museum exhibition started in 2016 in Milan Italy, with his first Museum exhibition in Europe at the Triennale di Milano Museum where critics hailed his show “Marcus Jansen DECADE” as among the top 10 shows to see in Italy. The Museum tour is accompanied by a documentary film by John Scoular titled, “Marcus Jansen – Examine & Report”, that spotlights Jansen. Art personalities including Steve Lazarides, Lawrence Voytek, WEST Rubinstein, Dr. Brooke Lynn McGowan, Noah Becker, Dieter Rampl and more . Jansen’s upcoming shows are organized by Art Historian, Dr. Elmar Zorn, and include Prof. Dr. David Galloway, New York, Prof. Dr. Dieter Ronte, Bonn and Prof. Dr. Manfred Schneckenburger, Koeln Germany. Included will be solo Museum exhibitions at major German, US and Austrian Museums. The tour will be accompanied by a new catalog published by Germany’s leading art book publishers Hirmer Verlag, Munich.
