Karl Jensen is an artist and architect practicing in New York City. Jensen earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University and a Master of Fine Arts from Hunter College. Recent work includes his installation for the inaugural Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio, special packaging for eighth blackbird’s HAND EYE, and artwork for the collaborative song cycle, Planetarium.
EDUCATION
2001
Registered Architect, New York State
1994
MFA, Hunter College, New York, NY
1989
BArch, Rice University, Houston, TX
1986
BA, Rice University, Houston, TX
SOLO EXHIBITIONS / INSTALLATIONS / COMMISSIONS
2018
Follies for Homecoming Festival, Smale Park, Cincinnati, OH
2017
The Sun, artwork created for Planetarium album by Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly
2016
Special CD packaging for HAND EYE, eighth blackbird, Chicago, IL
2015
Saunascape, Olivebridge, NY
Signage Tower Concept Design: Eaux Claires Festival, Eau Claire, WI
CD Artwork for FILAMENT, eighth blackbird, Chicago, IL
2014
Set Design: Everywhere We Go, New York City Ballet (collaboration with Justin Peck & Sufjan Stevens), New York, NY
2012
Artwork for Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY
Artwork for Sufjan Steven’s Christmas Music Compilation, New York, NY
Artwork for Bryce Dessner website, New York, NY
2011
Expansions and Stratifications (two-person Show), Good Citizen Gallery, St. Louis, MO
2010
CD Cover Art for Daniel Carlson’s Aviary Jackson, New York, NY
2008
Set Design: The National/Summerstage, Central Park, New York, NY
Set Design: MusicNOW Festival, Memorial Hall, Cincinnati, OH
2007-13
Sculpture Commission (private): White Sulphur, Greenbrier, WV
2006
Set Design: MusicNOW Festival, Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
Set Design: Bryce Dessner/The Kitchen, New York, NY
2005
Crown Jewel Stolen from the King of Hell, Cue Art Foundation, New York, NY
2004
Set Design: Bryce Dessner solo concert, Clockwork Apple Gallery, New York, NY
2003
Pulpit, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
2002
Pulpit, Five Myles, Brooklyn, NY
2001
Birds Portchmouth Russum, Architekturmuseum, Basel, Switzerland
1997
Pretty Desperate Painting, Ah! Space Gallery, New York, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2008
Opportunity As Community: Artists Select Artists, Part II, Dieu Donné, New York, NY
2004
Open House: Working in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
2002
Abstract Tendencies The Drawing Center, New York, NY
I-Beam, Cynthia Broan Gallery, New York, NY
Second Sight, Hunter College, Times Square Gallery, New York, NY
2000
Architecture as Metaphor, Sculpture Space, Utica, NY
1999
Imagining the Waterfront, South Street Seaport Museum, New York, NY
Six Sculptors, Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus, Brooklyn, NY
Design Ideas for the East River, Van Alen Institute, New York, NY
Flatland, Temple Gallery, Temple University Rome, Rome, Italy
1998
Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Art, London, England
Young Architects, The Architectural League, New York, NY
1997
Emerging Sculptors 10, Sculpture Center, New York, NY
International 97, Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, NY
Sunscreen for Pier 54, Van Alen Institute, New York, NY
1996
Architecture on the Horizon, Royal Institute of British Architects, London, UK
1995
Contemporary British Architects, National Academy of Design, New York, NY
Sculpture Center at Roosevelt Island, Roosevelt Island, NY
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
2003-08
Footbridge, Phoenix Arts Commission, Phoenix, AZ
1997-99
Bollard Sculptures, New Jersey Transit, Jersey City, NJ
1995
Entrance(s), Norbury Park, Surrey, England
1994-95
A13 Road Improvements, London, England
HONORS
1999
Artist’s Fellowship, New York Foundation for the Arts
1998
Young Architect Award, The Architectural League, New York, NY
Funded Resident, Sculpture Space, Utica, NY
1997
Emerging Artist Internship, Socrates Sculpture Park, New York, NY
LECTURES AND PANELS
2014
Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY
2003
Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
2002
The Drawing Center, New York, NY
2001
Virginia Tech School of Architecture, Blacksburg, VA
2000
College Art Conference, New York, NY
Sculpture Space, Utica, NY
1999
Queens College Art Department, Queens, NY
South Street Seaport Museum, New York, NY
1998
Van Alen Institute, New York, NY
The Architectural League, New York, NY
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2004
Open House: Working in Brooklyn, Joe Hill, Contemporary, 9/04.
Open House: Working in Brooklyn, Daniel Baird, Brooklyn Rail, 5/04.
2003
Karl Jensen at Five Myles, Lilly Wei, Art in America, 4/03, pp. 146-7.
2002
Art Guide: Pulpit, Ken Johnson, The New York Times, Weekend, 9/27, p. E32.
2001
On The Buses, Richard Wilcock, Editor, Surface, 7/01, pp. 51-54
2000
Birds Portchmouth Russum, Adam Mornement, Architectural Record, 12/00, pp. 120-3.
Postcards from the 21st Century, Jayne Merkel, Oculus, 1/00, cover, p. 8.
Summer of Sculpture, Jonas Kover, The Utica Observer-Dispatch, Lifestyles, 6/1, pp.1, 8.
1999
A Fertile Garden of Sculptures, Ken Johnson, The New York Times, Weekend, 8/13, p. 35.
Flatland, Time Out Roma, 6/23, p. 40.
Mentors, Carole Rifkind, Architectural Record, 6/99, p. 26.
Sense of Identity, Kenneth Powell, The Architect’s Journal, 4/1, pp. 26-35.
1998
Note on the Exhibition: Young Architects Forum, Yasushi Zenno, a+u, 12/98, pp. 130-1.
Young Architects at the League, Adam Griff, Oculus, 6/98, p. 19.
1997
Voice Choices, Kim Levin, the village voice, 1/8, p. 8.
Emerging Sculptors 10, Matt Friedman, Review, 1/15, p. 18.
1996
Revisiting the Urban Motorway, Paul Finch, The Architect’s Journal, 8/15, pp. 27-31.
1996
Voice Choices, Kim Levin, the village voice, 10/1, p. 8.
Poetry in Parking, Deyan Sedjic and Georgi Stanishev, World Architecture, 5/96, pp. 38-9.
Varied Old England, Blair Kamin, Chicago Tribune, Arts and Entertainment, 3/17, p. 10.
1995
Londra Ripensa Le Sue Autostrade Urbane, Francesca Vagliani, Kineo, 10/95, pp. 91-5.
Rebels Without a Manifesto, Kenneth Powell, The Architect’s Journal, 3/23, p. 17.
1993
The Machinist’s Garage, Philip Arcidi, Progressive Architecture, 5/93, p.106.
1989
122-124 Haberdasher Street, Marco Romanelli, Domus, 10/89, p. 52.
Space for Reflection, Diana Periton, The Architect’s Journal, 3/29, pp. 37-9.
© Karl Jensen
