James C. Christensen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James C. Christensen (born 1942) is an American artist. His main body of work, mostly paintings, is heavily influenced by fantasy themes. Even his small body of religious work shows heavy fantasy influence. Christensen says his inspirations are myths, fables, fantasies, and tales of imagination.

Christensen was raised in Culver City, California and attended UCLA. He then moved to Utah to finish his higher education at Brigham Young University (Christensen is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU's sponsor). He then went on to teach art for over 20 years where he finished his teaching career at Brigham Young University in the late 1990s.

Since his graduation he has had numerous showings of his work throughout the US and has been commissioned by numerous media companies to create artwork for their publications, such as Time-Life Books and Omni.

Most of Christensen's paintings have a philosophical message. He is loath to describe them, however, preferring to allow the viewer to discerne their own message.

Christensen's work has appeared in the American Illustration Annual and Japan's Outstanding American Illustrators. He also won all the professional art honors the World Science Fiction Convention offers, and multiple Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.

Christensen has published three books, with many of his works appearing in many more. His first book, A Journey of the Imagination: The Art of James Christensen, was printed in 1994 to great acclaim. His second, Voyage of the Basset (October 1, 1996), contains a frame story for a great deal of original work. His third book, Rhymes & Reasons, was published in May 1997. Christensen also illustrated A Shakespeare Sketchbook (May 2001) with text by Renwick St. James.

Christensen lives in a house he designed filled with secret passages and sculptures inspired by his paintings.

Not employed in all his paintings, his trademark is a flying or floating fish, often on a leash.

[edit] Controversy

One of Christensen's mermaid images that sparked controversy in Davis County, Utah.

Christensen's book Voyage of the Basset was the source of controversy in 2006 when a resident of Bountiful, Utah demanded that the book be removed from circulation from the young adult section at the Davis County Library in nearby Farmington, Utah. The book features fantasy artwork such as depictions of trolls, dragons and ogres. Two images of mermaids and one of a sphinx-like creature feature partially- or fully-exposed breasts.^[1]

Though the images are not sexual in nature, and as drawn, the breasts feature no nipples, Rod Jeppsen of the Citizens for Decency group said:

What we normally don't consider pornography, a child may get sexually aroused by... The question to me is not whether the book has a good story line, but does it sexually stimulate young boys?