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View at the museum ↗Drawing for Shamen
Bill Jensen1975–76
- Attribution
- Bill Jensen American, born 1945
- Medium
- Graphite frottage, and tempera on ivory tracing paper, hinged to heavy white wove paper
- Physical dimensions
- 60.3 × 47.9 cm (23 3/4 × 18 7/8 in.)
- Credit line
- Gift of Lannan Foundation
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View the museum record ↗From the museum
The application of tempera on vellum produces a textured surface on which the pigment is unevenly distributed, leaving areas where the white of the paper underneath is visible. The abstract form occupying the center of the picture space resembles an animal's paw. The merging of organic and geometric forms and the references to shamanism and the bestial imbue the image with a spirituality reminiscent of Native American beliefs. Bill Jensen's artwork is characterized by its transcendental quality. His drawings typically serve as studies for and after paintings, making this work a prime example of his working method and style.
Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0