ABOUT

Art-Knives in Context

“The knife, in all its many descended incarnations, very likely represents the oldest tool in human history. Its associations with hunting, thus life and death, and the eat or be eaten law of nature, tie the knife to the rawest, most basic, hence animal aspects of humanity. By necessity, the hunt led to a spiritual relationship with the animal kingdom. As the most effective personal weapon for most of human history, bladed tools came to represent power and authority. It was only natural, as power and authority became less directly dependent on the blade, that knives and swords would be kept as traditional symbols, and thus could be decorated to symbolize the bearer’s superiority. Through this new direction; the process of making art, humans achieve their highest echelon of evolutionary development. Each of John Jensen’s knives displays a personality that connects it to its ancient ancestors. But its materials and workmanship exemplify the highest levels of contemporary art and craft, and thus connects the full circle of the human experience.”
~ J. Langdon, graphic designer & author
 

The Recognition of Knives as Art…

John Jensen leads the way in creating ground-breaking collectable art…
Based in Los Angeles, Jensen Knives exemplify the trend setting style of California artists who pioneer new forms of collectable art. A cross between fine jewelry and objects d’ art, Jensen knives combine contemporary designs with the finest materials to create pieces of breathtaking edged sculpture. In Jensen’s talented hands, the traditions of knife making are skillfully blended with innovative techniques and processes to create pieces of incredible power, delicacy and beauty.
By continually forging into this uncharted territory, John finds the pursuit of the knife as art both challenging and exciting. The limitless potential of this little explored form gives him immense freedom to push the envelope in design, materials and construction.
John is a classically trained goldsmith and sculptor with a degree in jewelry + metals from Rhode Island School of Design. His extensive education plays an important role in his overall approach. The particular skills he’s acquired, both technical and conceptual are important aspects in his unique art-knife style, and are what truly sets his work apart.
By blending techniques from old-world craftsmanship along with modern technology, and utilizing the finest, and rarest of materials, John’s innovative masterpieces stand in a class all their own. John’s creations take hundreds of hours to produce. Each knife is hand crafted, one-of-a-kind, and truly an original work of art. Production is extremely limited which place his work amongst some of the most exclusive specialty items available.
Jensen Knives has been instrumental in the art world’s new appreciation of knife making as a serious art form. John has single-handedly spearheaded the movement to bring the knife into the art arena. His personal quest to validate the knife as an art object has brought much publicity and recognition to the overall field.
In 2007, he curated the first ever museum exhibit on modern art knives at the “National Ornamental Metals Museum”. John has been featured in more non-knife venues than any other knife maker. These prestigious and varied venues include “The Rock + Roll Hall of Fame”, the “Sculptural Object, Functional Art Expo”, the “Rochester Institute of Technology”, and the “French Embassy” in Washington DC, among others.
Jensen Knives have been featured in over 100 publications both national and international. All this publicity has helped establish John as the foremost authority on the modern art knife movement. In 2009, he was commissioned to curate “500 knives”, the first mainstream book on art knives in America.
Jensen Knives have been awarded prestigious recognition from leading art authorities including David McFadden; chief curator, “Museum of Arts and Design”, Gretchen G. Keyworth; director and chief curator of the “Fuller Craft Museum”, Bruce W. Pepich; executive director and curator of collections for the “Racine Art Museum”, and Jo Lauria; independent curator and leading authority on modern decorative arts, among others.

Exploring the Dark Side of Beauty…

“Beauty can be consoling, disturbing, sacred, profane; it can be exhilarating, appealing, inspiring, chilling. It can affect us in an unlimited variety of ways. Yet, it is never viewed with indifference: beauty demands to be noticed; it speaks to us directly like the voice of an intimate friend.”
~ Roger Scruton

The knife is a complicated object in that it most often evokes a complex array of emotions and associations. It is an inanimate object that has the potential to be highly revered and/or feared. A knife continually provides a provocative platform for art because it is so steeped in these deeply emotional responses.
Historically, knives and swords have been venerated as iconic objects. They were seen for their utility and function, while being simultaneously viewed as a symbol of power and status. In mythology, they are often associated with special abilities that can be used for either good or evil. Often times they are also linked with the hero’s journey towards self-fulfillment.
The knife’s function and status has drastically changed over time. Modern society tends to directly relate this object with the darker aspects of humanity. Today, knives are typically seen as weapons and as a psychological representation of violence. They are imbued with fear-based thoughts that are linked to aggression, brutality and cruelty.
In extreme opposition from the modern-day viewpoint, John explores the knife from a perspective of healing and beauty. His work is influenced and shaped by his unique personal story, which encompasses themes of transformation and the examination of duality.
At a young age, John was intimately introduced to the knife when he underwent over a dozen reconstructive surgeries to correct several facial birth defects. Throughout his formative years, sharp surgical instruments were in his face, both figuratively and literally. These unusual encounters led him to view the knife/scalpel as a symbol of regeneration. Overall, he was appreciative and thankful for their transformational function and ability. Yet, because of his experiences he was also forced to contemplate and question the meaning of beauty and imperfection.
In his quest to comprehend the aesthetics and the meaning of beauty, John became fascinated with both art and culture. He traveled throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East and spent a great deal of his youth exploring the great museums of the world. His appreciation of art, history, and his overall understanding of life, was shaped in large part by his exposure to the world’s great masterpieces. John was also greatly influenced by his exposure to archaeological relics especially tools, arms and armor. His fascination with edged objects developed as he contemplated their historical and personal significance.
In college, while studying abroad in Brittany, France, John began to piece together his great interest and passion for edged objects. While working on a series of abstract sculpture, John noticed that the image of the sword repeatedly presented itself in all of his work. This was a true epiphany; a revelation on how the knife had been in his subconscious waiting to be acknowledged. He returned home with the mission to discover, explore and re-interpret his life-long fascination with these iconic objects. John’s original quest to understand beauty was transformed into the ultimate discovery of his perfect artistic platform.
Since1994, John has been translating his understanding and vision of the knife into extraordinary works of art. He continues to evolve and bridge the knife’s historical significance and its modern viewpoint with his own unique perspective. Most-often John’s work provokes complex contemplation, including controversial associations. The knife will never be an innocuous object; it will always evoke something positive or negative. Through each knife, John works to bring opposing polarities of thoughts, ideas and emotions together.
The dark side of humanity has never been so beautiful as seen through the eyes of the artist John Jensen. He strives to bring balance to the world by creating an object honest in its duality. With such a vast array of material to draw from, the knife as an art object continuously provides John a great platform for his artistic expressions.

The Designer / Artist, JOHN LEWIS JENSEN:

RESUME: 

EDUCATION 

2022   UCLA-X ARC ID, L.A., CA Certificate: Interior Design
1996   Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI. B.F.A.: Jewelry and Metalsmithing
’95-’94   The Pont-Aven School of Art, Pont-Aven, France. Summer Art Programs
1994   Studio Art Centers International, Florence, Italy. Summer Art Program
’93-’92   Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI Special Student Program
’92-’90   Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA.
 

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2014   “Protective Ornament: Contemporary Amulets to Armor”, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA. Curated by Suzanne Ramljak, Editor: Metalsmith Magazine 
2014   “Protective Ornament”, The Metal Museum, Memphis, TN. Curated by Suzanne Ramljak, Editor: Metalsmith Magazine 
2013   “Innovations in Contemporary Crafts”, Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA. Curated by Monica Moses, Editor-in-Chief: AMERICAN CRAFT magazine. DIRECTORS CHOICS AWARD. 
2013   “34th Annual Contemporary Crafts”, Mesa Art Center Museum of Art, Mesa, AZ. Curated by Jennifer Scanlon: Associate Curator: The Museum of Arts + Design, NYC.
2012   “Cutting Edge: Evolution of the Knife”, Canton Museum of Art, Canton, OH.
2012   “Jensen Knives: Forging New Traditions”, Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, CA.
2011   “MOveMENT”, 724 Studios, San Francisco, CA.
2010   “Materials: Hard & Soft”, Center for the Visual Arts, Denton, TX.
2009   “CRAFTFORMS 2009”, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA. Curated by Bruce W. Pepich is Executive Director and Curator of Collections for the Racine Art Museum as well as the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts in Racine, Wisconsin. JURORS AWARD.
2009   “Santa Barbara Premiere Art Showcase”, Santa Barbara, CA
2008   “New West Coast Design”, Velvet Da Vinci Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2007   “Modern Art Knives: Beyond the Samurai Sword”, The National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, TN.
2006   “CRAFTFORMS 2006”, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA. Curated by Gretchen G. Keyworth, Director and Chief Curator of the Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA
2006   “CRAFTFORMS Invitational: Then and Now”, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA.
2006   “MARTINI SQUARED”, Gallery I/O, New Orleans, LA. Curated by Thomas Mann.
2006   “Parameters of Preciousness”, Gahlberg Gallery, McAninch Arts Center, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL. Curated by Kathleen Kamal.        
2005   “CRAFTFORMS 2005”, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA. Curated by David Revere McFadden: Chief Curator: The Museum of Arts + Design, NYC. JURORS AWARD.
2005   “Flatware: Function + Fantasy”, 12th Annual International Exposition of Sculptural Objects & Functional Art (SOFA), Navy Pier, Chicago, IL. Curated by Rosanne Raab & Boris Bally.
2005   “Made In America: Metal Arts Invitational Exhibition”, Bevier Gallery, Rochester institute of Technology, Rochester, NY. Curated by Leonard Urso & Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez.
2005   “Dimensions”, San Luis Obispo Art Center, San Luis Obispo, CA. Curated by Kevin Wallace. JURORS AWARD.
2005   “California Art Metal Now: An Exhibition of Contemporary California Jewelry and Metal Art”, Blue Room Gallery, San Francisco, CA. Curated by Shana Astrachan, Suzanne Baizerman, Susan Cummins & Paul Mahder. 
2005   “The Influence of Rock & Roll”, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Museum, Cleveland, OH. Curated by Boris Bally & Wendi Thumudo.
2004   “Hammer & Hand: Contemporary American Metal”, Center Arts Gallery, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI. Curated by Anna Fariello.
2004   “Knives as Art”, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX.
2004   “The Society of North American Goldsmiths Annual Conference”, The Art Knife: The Passion, The Quest, The Controversy, St. Petersburg, FL.
2002   “Innovative Tools For Personal Use”, The Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts, Denver, CO. Curated by Anne Larson Hollerbach. Kiff Slemmons, Charles Crowley, & Edward S. Cooke.
’20-’98   “Paris International Knife Show”, Paris, France.
1999   “Contemporary Metalworks Expo”, Seattle, WA.
1998   “Impressions Of Brittany”, French Embassy, Washington D.C.
1998   “Cambridge Art Association National Prize Show”, Lowell Street Gallery, Cambridge, MA. Curated by Malcolm Rogers.
1996   “Recent Works”, Native Gallery, Providence RI.
1995   “The Pont-Aven School of Art: Faculty and Student Exhibition”, List Arts Center, Brown University, Providence, RI.
1994   “Open Salon Show”, Sarah Doyle Gallery, Providence RI.
1994   “Impressions Of Brittany”, French Library and Cultural Center, Boston, MA.
 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

2014   On Body & Soul: Contemporary Armor to Amulets. Suzanne Ramljak
2013   Hephaistos (Germany): “John Lewis Jensen”, 5-6, 2013 (pp 44, illustrated)
2012   Blade’s Guide to Knifemaking, Vol.2, (illustrated)
2011   Metalsmith: “The Hand as Subject and Site”, Vol. 31, No. 5, (pp. 34-35, illustrated)
2010   The Robb Report, Collection: “A Cut Above”, Vol. IX, No. 5, (pp. 44-48, Illustrated)
2010   Luxury Road (Argentina): “The Keen Art of John Jensen “, (pp. 51-52, Illustrated)
2009   blisstree.com: “Artist profile: John Lewis Jensen”
2009   500 Knives: Juried by John L. Jensen (Cover Image, pg. 29, pg. 214, pg. 383)
2009   Craft Forms 2009: Exhibition Catalog, (illustrated)
2008   Mage Sign:  A novel by Alan Baxter (Cover Image)
2008   IRONWORK TODAY 2: INSIDE & OUT.
2008   ProPE3 (Russia): “John Jensen”, (pp. 8-14, illustrated)
2008   New West Coast Design: jewelry + metalwork: exhibition catalog (pg. 15, illustrated)
2007   The Robb Report: Collection: “Cutting Edge, John Jensen Fashions Knives as Art”, Vol. VI, No. 12, (pg. 154, Illustrated)
2007   Knives Illustrated: “Art Knives in the Art World”, Vol. 21, No. 6, (pp. 58, 59 Illustrated)
2007   The Art of the Knife.
2007   The Philadelphia Inquirer: “A Grand Slam on the Main Line”
2007   Blade: “Multiple Layers and Majestic Materials”, Vol. XXXIV, No. 1 (pp. 20-25, illustrated)
2006   Craft Forms 2006: Exhibition Catalog, (illustrated)
2006   BOOM: “Jensen Knives”, (illustrated)
2006   Lapidary Journal: “On The Edge of Exotic”, Vol. 60, No. 5 (pg. 10, illustrated)
2006   4W (Argentina): “John Jensen: El Arte Del Cuchillo”, (pp. 99-101, illustrated)
2006   Varium et Mutibile (Greece): “Per Se”, (pg. 178, illustrated)
2006   Che (Belgium): “Spellenhulp”, ” No. 74 (pp. 134-135)
2006   Metalsmith: “California Art Metal Now”, Vol. 26, No. 2 (pg. 57)
2006   American Craft: “Gallery”, Vol. 66, No. 2 (pg. 64, illustrated)
2006   The Orange County Register: “Basking in Exclusivity”, Feb.2 2006
2006   IRONWORK TODAY: INSIDE & OUT. (pg. 225, illustrated)
2006   Stuff: “Gearotica”, Vol. 9, No. 1 (pg. 62, illustrated)
2005   The Philadelphia Inquirer: “Craft Forms: A Show with Verve”, (pg. L8, illustrated)
2005   Atlanta Max: Winter 2005 “Holiday Gift Guide”, (pg. 35, illustrated)
2005   Craft Forms 2005: Exhibition Catalog, (illustrated)
2005   Metalsmith: “Exhibition in Print”, Vol. 25, No. 4 (p. 30, illustrated)
2005   Made in America: Exhibition Catalog, (illustrated)
2005   Blade’s Guide to Knifemaking. Vol. 1, No. 1 (illustrated)
2005   Metalsmith: “Hammer & Hand: Contemporary American Metal”, Vol. 25, No. 3 (p. 54)
2005   Art and Design in Modern Custom Fixed-Blade (pp. 180-187, illustrated)
2005   American Craft: “Gallery”, Vol. 64, No. 6 (pp. 64, illustrated)
2003   Excalibur (France): “John Lewis Jensen”, (pp. 4, 38-40, illustrated) and “L’Objectif Acere” No. 30 (pp. 64, 65, illustrated)
2003   Hephaistos (Germany): “Mit dem Dolch zum Traualtar”, 1-2, 2003 (pp 4, 8-11, illustrated)
2003   SNAG Newsletter: “Art Knife Awareness”, (p. 9, illustrated)
2003   Art and Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives. (pp. 30-31, 160-167, illustrated)
2003   Knives Illustrated: “Knife Art”, 17, No. 1 (pp. 2, 52-57, illustrated)
2002   Metalsmith: “Exhibition in Print”, Vol. 22, No. 4 (p. 26, illustrated)
2002   Knife World: “Artistry In Knives”, Vol XXVIII, No. 7 (p. 18, illustrated)
2002   SNAG / 3M: “Innovative Tools for Personal Use”, Exhibition Catalog and CD-Rom
2001   RISD Views. Vol. 87, No. 2, (pp. 32-33, Illustrated)
2001   Blade: “Diamonds in the Rough, Jewelers turned Knifemakers”, Vol. XXVIII, No. 1 (p. 114, Illustrated)
2000   Internationales Waffen-Magazin (Switzerland): “Utopische Blankwaffen”, (pp. 559-561, Illustrated)
2000   Excalibur (France): “Star Knife, la nouvelle génération”, No.15, (pp. 52-59, Illustrated)
2000   The Contemporary Blacksmith. (pp. 235-236, Illustrated)
1999   Internationales Waffen – Magazin: (Switzerland) “Messerborson in Europa”, (pp. Cover, 712-716)
1999   La Passion des Couteaux (France): “Devine Qui Vient Au S.I.C.A.C. Ou Le Plus Grand Rendez-vous International De Couteliers Customs”, No.60, (pp. 18-25, Illustrated)
1998   Arts Media: “Cambridge Art Assoc. National Prize Show at University Place”, (p. 14)
1998   Boston Globe: “Creative Mix from Cambridge”, (pp. C1-C4)
1998   Lapidary Journal: “Facets”, Vol.51, No.11, (p. 8, Illustrated)
1998   Knives Illustrated: “John Lewis Jensen”, Vol.12, No.1, (pp. 64-67, Illustrated)
’96-’97   Rhode Island School of Design: “Admissions Catalog”, (p. 60, Illustrated)
1996   Providence Journal Bulletin: “A Show with Attitude”, (p. E6)

BIOGRAPHY:

John Lewis Jensen is a designer and metal-smith with a concentration in the niche field of Art-Knives. He was born in Newport Beach, CA in 1971 and currently lives and works in Pasadena, California. He received a BFA in Jewelry + Metalsmithing from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), in 1996. His further interests and passions lie in Architecture, Interior Design and Furniture, and in 2022 he completed his studies in Interior Design from UCLA-X. John’s skill sets, both technical and conceptual are applied to his unique art-knife style, which has helped him take his work to a new level. What separates John’s work from other contemporary knife makers, is his true approach to the form as art, and not just another embellished version, of an otherwise ordinary knife. He was most recently represented in a two year, traveling exhibit entitled “Protective Ornament: Contemporary Armor to Amulets”, which was featured at both the National Ornamental Metals Museum, TN and the Tacoma Art Museum, WA. This show was based on the book: “On Body & Soul” written and curated by the noted art critic Suzanne Ramljak. He’s also been featured in shows at the Mesa Art Museum, AZ (2013), as well as the Canton Museum of Art, OH (2012). In 2012, he also gave a presentation / lecture on his work at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA. In addition, his work has been shown in such diverse places as the National Ornamental Metals Museum, TN (2007), (where he curated the 1st ever show on Modern Art-Knives in the U.S.), The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in OH (2005), and the French Embassy in Washington D.C. (1998), among many others. Jensen’s award winning work has also been featured in over 100 international publications, and he’s been instrumental in the art world’s new appreciation of knife making as a serious art form. He produces his one-of-a-kind pieces as a one-man operation under the moniker “Jensen Knives” Art, at its heart straddles between two schools of thought: On one side, art is the ultimate form of anti-establishment, meant to be intimidating, confounding, and a bold rejection of all things “normal”. On the other side, it is meant to uplift the human spirit, and enhance life around us with its beauty and grandeur. With my artwork I’m looking to be a part of both realms…
Fundamentally, the purity and act of creation, combined with the abilities of my mind and hands is a staggering, life-altering experience. Up until 2018, the inception and creation of one-of-a-kind Art Knives is where John has solely concentrated his main artistic intention and expression. He is now further exploring his passions in Architecture and Interior Design. 
 

ARTIST STATEMENT:

The knife is an art form unlike any other, and offers me a focal point for many of my varied interests. It is defined by both its form and function, while also simultaneously evoking a wide range of associations. My work is about the exercise of pushing the boundaries within, and beyond these inherent parameters into realms of design and beauty not often associated to knives. Personally, “Knives as Art”, are the ultimate manifestation of the ideals behind the meaning, intention, and creation of art.
After extensive exploration of numerous and varied design and artistic mediums, no other object has held my attention as knives have. I’ve found that metal, especially harder metals, like steel and titanium in particular, suit my temperament. As a designer, jeweler, sculptor and machinist, the knife-making process gives me a diverse palette to work through in the utilization of many different combinations of exotic materials, color, pattern, texture and composition. To me, the exploration of the knife is simply another form of paint and canvas, and one in which I am able to ultimately express and embody my great love of the sublime.
My interest in expanding the parameters of this little known, and often times misunderstood form, continues to challenge and intrigue me on many levels, but mainly because knives offer two distinct and opposing viewpoints. They have long been both feared on a primal level, yet also revered as sacred, even magical objects. This poses an interesting challenge on how to create art out of an object that is so steeped in specific physical and emotional definitions. Knives are mans oldest and most widely used practical tools, and thus are tied to life, survival and death. Yet, they are also ceremonial symbols, used to denote power, status, nobility, etc. Simply put, they are loaded with multiple meanings and associations.
I love radical design, as well as subversive undertones, and unorthodox expression. To me, there is no point in making anything that doesn’t challenge and/or awaken the senses.