Local artist on display in Boston

Lehigh Acres artist Marcus Antionius Jansen is the featured artist at an exhibit at Gallery XIV in Boston through Oct. 20.

Influenced early in life by the emerging graffiti art movement in his neighborhood of Bronx, New York and later by the old German expressionist work from the early 20th century as well as European culture, Jansen's work has received international acclaim. The decayed structures and human forms are exemplified in the emotional strife of his urbanscapes of the poor.

Jansen, a world-traveler and artist, is listed in Who's Who in American Art alongside some of the most noteworthy men and women in today's art world. He has been appointed Associated Academician in the Department of Art Accademia Internazionale "Greci - Marino", Academia Del Verbano Di Litery, Arti, Scienze, Italy. Jansen also has works in the Smithsonian Institution and National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art.

Jansen was born in New York City. A Gulf War veteran, he managed to transform his life from a soldier at war to being named the innovator of "Modern Expressionism". This according to art historian Jerome A. Donson (former Museum Director of international exhibitions that included some of Americas greatest action painters such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Oskar Kokoshka, Franz Kline and Robert Rauschenberg). In 1997, after his discharge Jansen decided to follow his calling to highlight social truth's and culture, examining largely our modern state of mind through his art. He has coined his work with the term "Modern Urban- Expressionism" and had his first exhibition in 1974 at New York City's Park Avenue Lever House at age six.

Jansen was recently awarded the Angel of the Arts Award in the category New Artist of the Year by the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers. His recent Biennials include: The 12th International Print & Drawing Biennial at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art that included intl. Juror David Kiehl, Whitney Museum of Art and recently for the International 8th. Contemporary Art Biennial "Dialogues" in St. Petersburg Russia where he received a special recognition Diploma for Modern Urban-Expressionism. Jansen also won the Tampa Museum of Art state juried competition. ¦