Paul Jenkins was an American painter, who represented Abstract Expressionism movement. He worked both with oil paints and acrylic. Jenkins’s diaphanous streaks and gentle, fluid fields of color positioned him as an important figure in Abstract Expressionism.
Background
Paul Jenkins was born on July 12, 1923 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. He was a son of William Burris Jenkins and Nadyne (Fellers) Jenkins. In his teenage years, Jenkins settled down in Struthers, Ohio, where he lived with his mother and stepfather, who both ran the local newspaper, the Hometown Journal (then the Struthers Journal).
Education
Initially, Paul studied at Struthers High School. Later, he served in the United States Maritime Service and entered the United States Naval Air Corps during World War II. In 1948, the painter enrolled at Art Students League of New York, where he remained until 1952. Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Morris Kantor were among his mentors.
In 1996, he received honorary doctorate in humanities from Hofstra University.
In 1953, after studies, Paul Jenkins left for Europe, setting down in Taormina, Sicily. The following year, he held his first solo exhibition at Paul Facchetti's studio in France. The same year, in 1954, Jenkins held another solo exhibition at Zoe Dusanne's gallery in Seattle. Also, in 1956, Paul showed his works at Martha Jackson Gallery in New York. During that time, Jenkins became famous both in New York and Europe for his early works.
In 1960, Paul abandoned oil for acrylic and started to paint with an ivory knife. During this decade, he also exhibited his works abroad in such cities, as Tokyo, London, New York, Paris, Amsterdam and others. In 1963, he took over Willem de Kooning's light-infused loft at Union Square in New York City, where he worked until the end of 2000. In 1968, Jenkins started to create a limited number of solid and unique sculptures in glass together with Egidio Costantini in Murano.
In the 1970's, Paul created the first drawing for Meditation Mandala, a sculpture project. During that period, he also experimented with collages. Between 1971-1972, a retrospective of his works was held at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and the San Francisco Museum of Art. Some time later, in 1977, the painter started to experiment with acrylic and watercolor.
By the 1970's and 1980's, his art career had provided him with a glamorous life, divided between France and New York. Also, in 1990, upon the invitation of Abba Eban, who was an Israeli diplomat and politician, Paul traveled to Israel. The following year, he also visited Japan and Italy.
In 2003, the painter started to collaborate with Redfern Gallery in London, where he exhibited his works. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, Paul donated around 5,000 pieces from his archive to the Archives of American Art of the Smithsonian Institution.
Quotations:
"I do not stain and I do not work on unprimed canvas. This is more significant than it may appear. Staining or working on un-primed canvas results in an inkblot-like effect where the paint penetrates the canvas and spreads out on its own. When I work on primed canvas, I can control the flow of paint and guide it to discover forms. The ivory knife is an essential tool in this because it does not gouge the canvas, it allows me to guide the paint."
Membership
Royal Cambrian Academy of Art
,
United Kingdom
1998
Connections
In 1944, Paul married Esther Ebenhoe. Their marriage produced one child — Hilarie Paula. Some time later, Esther and Paul divorced. During the period from 1964 to 1970, Jenkins was married to Alice Baber, a painter. In 1979, Suzanne Donnelly became his third wife.