A Journey of the Imagination: The Art of James Christensen - Hardcover

YA--Christensen is an artist who presents tapestries of arabesque images to delight the eye and tease the imagination. He layers for our inspection and introspection myths, literature, poetry, nature, black-and-white checkered floors, and everyman as a ``hunchback'' with the cares of the world upon his fragile shoulders. Palpable colored plates on heavy-weight creamy paper serve as canvases for works with titles such as ``The Responsible Woman,'' ``She Would Have Been a Much More Pleasant Person If Her Nose Had Not Been On So Tight,'' and the uplifting ``College of Magical Knowledge.'' The painter writes in his opening essay that he wants people to participate in his art along with him. He discusses how symbols, designs, and metaphors convey new interpretations of reality. He facilitates an understanding of his works with insightful comments about each one. Themes such as fantasy in nature, allegory, life's voyages, the power of fairy tales as proverbs, and other diverse topics are suggested for possible exploration. This book is a rich resource tool for students of all disciplines. YAs' creativity will be stimulated by the clever complexity within its pages, and they will find themselves on a quest to decipher all of the ideas behind the images.

Arlene Hoebel, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA

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