Bidspirit auction | Paul Jenkins ”Phenomena Mac in

Paul Jenkins ”Phenomena Mac in Town” Painting 1962 - Paul Jenkins (American, 1923-2012). Oil on canvas painting titled ”Phenomena Mac in Town, ” 1962. Signed along the lower left; further signed, titled, dated, and inscribed ”Paris” along the verso. Martha Jackson label affixed to the verso. Provenance: Martha Jackson Gallery, New York; Private Minnesota Collection. Lot Essay: Under the G.I. Bill, Paul Jenkins attended the Art Students League in New York from 1948-52, during which time he studied with Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Morris Kantor. He remained at the Art Students League until 1952, where he befriended fellow artists Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Though he is often associated with abstract expressionism, he preferred to think of himself as ”an abstract phenomenist.” Jenkins' pictorial universe consists of streaks of color that awaken associations. He produced his first picture with diluted paints in 1951; later they were executed as pour pictures. The layers of pigment covering the picture supports are whisper-thin. Jenkins' handling is intuitive yet informed by philosophy. He was receptive to sources of inspiration provided by the manifold impressions he had of his immediate surroundings. His aesthetic experiments usually involve the prismatic colors of the rainbow. However, Jenkins also worked up the impressions he had received on his extensive travels. In such cases, it is the distinctive color of a particular place that he found most fascinating. Jenkin's ”Phenomena” series, to which the present work belongs, was began in the 1960s and produced some of his most successful works. The inclusion of the word ”Phenomena” in these works is meant to inspire discovery of remarkable instances and forms created during his artistic process. The translucent and opaque layers draw viewer's attention into the depth of the canvas. Unframed; height: 25 3/4 in x width: 31 in. Framed; height: 34 1/4 in x width: 40 1/2 in x depth: 2 1/4 in. Condition: Please email us at condition@revereauctions.com for a condition report or additional photos.