Stephen Jansen’s Magic Street won first prize in the Bass Coast Artists Society’s Easter Show.
By Catherine Watson
“IS IT a broken love affair, a party, a hard time living, or a wondrous spiritual breakthrough?” judge Josephine Kent asks of Stephen Jansen’s Magic Street.
Jansen himself is saying very little about his mysterious work. After taking out first prize in the 2D section of the Bass Coast Artists Society’s Easter Show at the weekend, he confesses he’s intrigued by Kent’s interpretation
A painting should set you wondering, he says. That’s what the imagination is all about.
“Art critics I’ve read over the years have turned themselves inside out trying to work out what Gustav Klimt’s work was about, what his motivations were. It’s all part of the magic.”
“IS IT a broken love affair, a party, a hard time living, or a wondrous spiritual breakthrough?” judge Josephine Kent asks of Stephen Jansen’s Magic Street.
Jansen himself is saying very little about his mysterious work. After taking out first prize in the 2D section of the Bass Coast Artists Society’s Easter Show at the weekend, he confesses he’s intrigued by Kent’s interpretation
A painting should set you wondering, he says. That’s what the imagination is all about.
“Art critics I’ve read over the years have turned themselves inside out trying to work out what Gustav Klimt’s work was about, what his motivations were. It’s all part of the magic.”
A former art teacher at Wonthaggi Secondary College for many years, Jansen has exhibited in group shows in the city and had a solo exhibition at the Gecko Studio Gallery in Fish Creek in 2017. He was persuaded to enter the show by a member of the committee who had seen one of his exhibitions.
| He says he loved teaching but got sick of giving all his ideas away to his students. “I never stopped painting but I hadn’t really given it a good shot. I’d get up early in the morning and start painting or drawing but I wasn’t getting anywhere.” Now he’s relishing the freedom of retirement and the ability to go deeper in his work. While he won’t interpret Magic Street, he discloses that it’s one of a series. The second painting is under way and the third is on the drawing board. “But I can’t tell you too much!” he adds. He’s more forthcoming about his second work in the show, an intriguing piece called Curve: Outside Looking In. | “I found this work completely engaging, it grabbed my attention immediately and l certainly spent more time in front of it than the 11 seconds rule, it was more like 11 minutes that l was engrossed in the story. I can still see this image now as l write and this for me is a sign of a truly successful work. “The composition, technique, drawing satisfied and l enjoyed the play of the colours, with the use of the complementary colours that give the story the edge and the strong black line of the pole. “What is magic about this street? Does it exist? It is obviously a psychological time, or a broken love affair, a party, a hard time living, or is it a wonderous spiritual breakthrough? A type of distortion of the real, that is more real. Certainly, a wonderful contemporary surrealistic piece.” Josephine Allen, judge, BCAS Easter Art Show, on Stephen Jansen’s Magic Street |
Stephen Jansen's Curve: Outside Loking In
“No one’s going to get this one,” he says, and laughs. He doesn’t mind that at all.
“This is my big statement, it’s my COVID piece. It’s about science versus mysticism and myth.”
Wonthaggi’s Renaissance Woman, Karen Murphy Ellis, had a field day, with her mixed media work Coal Seam being highly commended in the 2D section and her mixed media sculpture Copernicus winning the 3D section.
“What a clever play of the title of this work,” Kent commented of the sculpture, “recalling the astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus who proposed that the planets orbit around the sun and revolutionised a philosophy.
“A work done in copper and threaded around an axis in an almost DNA’ish chaos. Where the sun or is it a planet leans away from the major form? An extension of the philosophy?
I loved the use of the copper parts and found the whole piece very aesthetically pleasing.”
The prize list
2D works
First Prize
Stephen Jansen – Oil on canvas, “Magic Street.”
Highly Commended
Karin Murphy Ellis – mixed media work, Coal Seam
Anne McRae – pastel painting, Spawning – Mosman Gorge.
Rob Matheson – Acrylic on board, Tempest Fisherman.
3D works
First Prize
Karen Murphy Ellis – Mixed media sculpture, Copernicus
Highly Commended
Ray Dahlstrom – Clay and Recycled material, Human Reactions
Dina Goebel – resin, fabric and various clays, Black Gold
Trudy Barclay – Clay, Kabuki Actor
“This is my big statement, it’s my COVID piece. It’s about science versus mysticism and myth.”
Wonthaggi’s Renaissance Woman, Karen Murphy Ellis, had a field day, with her mixed media work Coal Seam being highly commended in the 2D section and her mixed media sculpture Copernicus winning the 3D section.
“What a clever play of the title of this work,” Kent commented of the sculpture, “recalling the astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus who proposed that the planets orbit around the sun and revolutionised a philosophy.
“A work done in copper and threaded around an axis in an almost DNA’ish chaos. Where the sun or is it a planet leans away from the major form? An extension of the philosophy?
I loved the use of the copper parts and found the whole piece very aesthetically pleasing.”
The prize list
2D works
First Prize
Stephen Jansen – Oil on canvas, “Magic Street.”
Highly Commended
Karin Murphy Ellis – mixed media work, Coal Seam
Anne McRae – pastel painting, Spawning – Mosman Gorge.
Rob Matheson – Acrylic on board, Tempest Fisherman.
3D works
First Prize
Karen Murphy Ellis – Mixed media sculpture, Copernicus
Highly Commended
Ray Dahlstrom – Clay and Recycled material, Human Reactions
Dina Goebel – resin, fabric and various clays, Black Gold
Trudy Barclay – Clay, Kabuki Actor