Editing James C. Christensen

{{Short description|American illustrator and painter (1942–2017)}}
{{Infobox artist
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| name             = James C. Christensen
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| native_name      = 
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| birth_date       = {{Birth date|1942|09|26}}
| birth_place      = [[Culver City, California]]
| baptised         = <!-- will not display if birth_date is entered -->
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|2017|01|08|1942|09|26}} 
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| nationality      = American
| education        = 
| alma_mater       = [[Brigham Young University]]
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| notable_works    = 
| style            = Fantasy
| movement         = 
| spouse           = Carole Christensen
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| relatives        = Cassandra Barney,<br />Emily McPhie
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| website          = {{URL|jameschristensenart.com}}
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'''James C. Christensen''' (September 26, 1942 – January 8, 2017) was an American [[illustrator]] and [[painter]] of religious and fantasy art.

Christensen was born and raised in [[Culver City, California]].<ref name=Des>Taylor, Scott and Walch, Tad. [https://www.deseret.com/2017/1/9/20603834/of-fantasy-and-faith-lds-artist-james-c-christensen-dies-at-74#james-c-christensen-left-performs-at-byus-homecoming-spectacular-take-flight-with-the-popular-everyman-character-he-created-played-by-h-patrick-debenham-on-oct-15-2014 "Of fantasy and faith: LDS artist James C. Christensen dies at 74"], ''[[Deseret News]]'', 9 January 2017. Retrieved on 9 April 2021.</ref> Christensen began his studies at [[Santa Monica College]]. He attended the [[University of California, Los Angeles]] and obtained a [[Master of Fine Arts|MFA]] from [[Brigham Young University]] (BYU).<ref>Winters, Charlene Renberg. [https://magazine.byu.edu/article/the-art-of-family/ "The Art of Family"], ''[[Y Magazine]]'', Spring 2007. Retrieved on 9 April 2021.</ref> Christensen only started oil painting after he began studying at BYU.

==Career==
Christensen began his career as a free-lance illustrator and a junior high school art instructor. Christensen was an instructor at BYU from 1976 until 1997.<ref name=Des /> He has had numerous showings of his work throughout the US and has been commissioned by media companies to create artwork for their publications, such as [[Time-Life Books]] and ''[[Omni Magazine|Omni]]''.

Christensen appeared in an episode of ABC's show ''[[Extreme Makeover: Home Edition]]'' in 2005. He created a picture featuring a member of the family as a fairy. The design team filmed a segment at his studio. The Greenwich Workshop donated a framed Court of the Faeries that Christensen presented to the family for the room as well.

Christensen said his inspirations were [[mythology|myth]]s, [[fable]]s, [[fantasy|fantasies]], and tales of imagination. He employed many-layered medieval and Renaissance clothing, and hunched backs symbolizing the burdens people carry in life.

One his trademarks were flying or floating fish and he explained, "In my paintings a fish usually symbolizes wonder and wisdom. I often paint a fish floating in the air to remind the viewer that this is a new reality, that there is magic in the world."<ref name=Des /> He was approached by [[Pixar]] to consult on ''[[Finding Nemo]]'' but declined in order to work on a mural for [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]].<ref>Olson, Joseph. [https://mormonartist.net/interviews/james-christensen/ "James Christensen"], ''Mormon Artist'', December 2010. Retrieved on 9 April 2021.</ref>

Christensen painted several murals for the [[Provo City Center Temple]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church).<ref>Mann, Court. [https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/orem/world-renowned-artist-and-muralist-james-christensen-dies-at-74/article_aac06746-a43b-5dac-83cc-309f04d2ea59.html "World-renowned artist and muralist James Christensen dies at 74"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409231034/https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/orem/world-renowned-artist-and-muralist-james-christensen-dies-at-74/article_aac06746-a43b-5dac-83cc-309f04d2ea59.html |date=2021-04-09 }}, ''[[Daily Herald (Utah)]]'', 11 January 2017. Retrieved on 9 April 2021.</ref>

===Controversy===
[[Image:James C Christensen - Voyage of the Basset.jpg|thumb|right|300px|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 literature|young adult]] section at the [[Davis County, Utah|Davis County]] [[Public library|Library]] in nearby [[Farmington, Utah]] because some of the illustrations were deemed too suggestive.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Mermaids afloat in Davis libraries despite protests |last=McKitrick |first=Cathy |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=23 August 2006 |url= https://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/utah/ci_4223693}}</ref> The Davis County Library Board voted to keep the book in circulation in the young adult section.

==Personal life==
Christensen was married to Carole Christensen and they had five children including two artist daughters, Cassandra Barney and Emily McPhie.<ref>Wadley, Carma. [https://www.deseret.com/2009/9/13/20339902/all-in-the-family-james-c-christensen-joins-forces-with-2-daughters-for-art-show#artists-james-c-christensen-and-his-daughter-cassandra-barney-in-casssandras-studio-in-her-orem-home "All in the family: James C. Christensen joins forces with 2 daughters for art show"], ''[[Deseret News]]'', 13 September 2009. Retrieved on 9 April 2021.</ref> He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Christensen co-chaired the Mormon Arts Foundation. In the Church, he served as a ward bishop among other callings. He resided in [[Orem, Utah]] in a house he designed filled with secret passages and sculptures inspired by his paintings. Christensen died of cancer on January 8, 2017.<ref name=Des />

==Bibliography==
*''A Journey of the Imagination: The Art of James Christensen'' by James C. Christensen (The Greenwich Workshop Press, January 1, 1994, {{ISBN|978-0867130218}})
*''Voyage of the Basset'' by James C. Christensen (Artisan, January 10, 1996, {{ISBN|978-1885183583}})
*''Rhymes & Reasons: An Annotated Collection of Mother Goose Rhymes'' by James C. Christensen (The Greenwich Workshop Press, January 6, 1997, {{ISBN|978-0867130409}})
*''James Christensen: The Greenwich Workshop's New Century Artists Series'' by James C. Christensen (The Greenwich Workshop Press, January 9, 2001, {{ISBN|978-0867130737}})
*''Passage By Faith: Exploring the Inspirational Art'' by James C. Christensen (Deseret Book, October 29, 2012)

==Awards==
Christensen was named a Utah Art Treasure, one of Utah’s Top 100 Artists by the [[Springville Museum of Art]], and received the Governor’s Award for Art from the [[Utah Division of Arts and Museums|Utah Arts Council]].<ref name=Des /> He served as president of the National Academy of Fantastic Art.<ref name=WSJ2020>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1989/08/windows-on-wonder-an-interview-with-james-c-christensen?lang=eng "Windows on Wonder"], ''[[Church News]]'', 1989. Retrieved on 9 April 2021.</ref>

His artwork has been featured on the cover of ''[[Leading Edge (fiction magazine)|Leading Edge]]'' issue #41, winning him the [[Chesley Award]] for cover artwork in 2002.<ref name="chesley-2002">{{cite web|url=http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Chesley2002.html#mag |title=Chesley Awards Winners By Year |publisher=[[Locus (magazine)|Locus]] |accessdate=February 24, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103043005/http://locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/ChesleyWinsByYear.html |archivedate=January 3, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="asfa">{{cite web|url=http://www.asfa-art.org/chesley/2002.html#magazine |title=ASFA Chesley Awards 2002: Best Cover Illustrations - Magazine |publisher=[[Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists]] |year=2002 |accessdate=February 27, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618142735/http://www.asfa-art.org/chesley/2002.html |archivedate=June 18, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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 Award]]s from the [[Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists]].

==See also==
* {{citation |last= Oman |first= Richard G. |contribution= Artists, Visual |contribution-url= http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/EoM/id/5488 |pages=  70–73 |editor1-last= Ludlow |editor1-first= Daniel H |editor1-link= Daniel H. Ludlow |title= [[Encyclopedia of Mormonism]] |location= New York |publisher= [[Macmillan Publishing]] |year= 1992 |isbn= 0-02-879602-0 |oclc= 24502140 }}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.greenwichworkshop.com/christensen James C. Christensen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206153750/http://www.greenwichworkshop.com/christensen |date=2008-12-06 }} Greenwich Workshop Biography
*{{IMDb name|id=0159796|name=James C. Christensen}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christensen, James C.}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:American Latter Day Saint artists]]
[[Category:20th-century American painters]]
[[Category:American male painters]]
[[Category:21st-century American painters]]
[[Category:Artists from Utah]]
[[Category:Brigham Young University alumni]]
[[Category:Brigham Young University faculty]]
[[Category:American fantasy artists]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saints from California]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saints from Utah]]
[[Category:People from Culver City, California]]