Dan Christensen
Dan Christensen stands among America’s most innovative abstract painters of the late twentieth century. Over his forty-year career, Christensen relentlessly explored the boundaries and possibilities of paint and pictorial form. A leading figure in the Color Field movement, he not only carried on its legacy but also pushed its limits by incorporating techniques from Abstract Expressionism, resulting in a distinctive and vibrant body of work.
Born in 1942 in Cozad, Nebraska, Christensen was inspired early on by his surroundings. With a mother who taught art and a father who farmed, he was exposed to diverse influences. Despite frequent relocations during his youth, Christensen’s passion for art flourished. At sixteen, he left home to pursue commercial art in Denver—a move that introduced him to the world of Jackson Pollock. This experience left a profound impact on his artistic vision.
Christensen honed his artistic skills at Chadron State College under the tutelage of ceramist William Artis, and later at the Kansas City Art Institute. He graduated as the valedictorian in 1964, having been classically trained in figural rendering. Awarded a fellowship, he continued his studies at Indiana University, experimenting with abstraction.
His move to New York City in 1965 marked a pivotal moment in his career. Immersed in the vibrant art scene, Christensen abandoned figural art to join the avant-garde, collaborating with contemporaries like Kenneth Noland and Jules Olitski. This dynamic environment fueled his creativity and led him to experiment with a spray gun—a tool setting new precedents in the art world.
Christensen’s groundbreaking use of the spray gun positioned him as a pioneer within the Color Field movement, characterized by its exploration of color purity and material essence. Art historian Karen Wilkin noted his ability to create images that simultaneously responded to contemporary challenges while maintaining connections to past and present artistic dialogues.
Throughout the late 1960s, his work gained recognition and was championed by prominent curators, critics, and dealers. His paintings entered major museum collections across the United States, attesting to his significant impact on postwar abstraction.
In 2009, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art organized a traveling retrospective titled “Dan Christensen: Forty Years of Painting,” highlighting his multifaceted oeuvre. Critics like Peter Plagens from Artforum praised Christensen’s versatility, noting his ability to blend abstract elements into visual poetry.
Christensen’s work continues to resonate, marked by a tension between geometric order and passionate improvisation. His legacy endures through his innovative techniques and the lively, colorful canvases that testify to his unique voice in the history of abstract art.
