Jess Artem considers himself both a painter and an independent researcher in the field of cosmology and consciousness. Born in England in 1945, he studied at art school in the UK between 1960-1963 and has held exhibitions both in London (The Night Gallery. & The Greater London Council Annual Exhibition) The Institute of Astronomy (Cambridge) and The Museo de la Ciencia y El Cosmos, in Tenerife, where he went to live in 1984. Jess Artem has had his work published as postcards (Artists Cards, London) Posters (Wizard & Genius, Switzerland) and record covers (Vander Graff: The Quite Zone. 1977). His work was also used by the BBC as background illustration for a televised interview with Sir Fred Hoyle in 1978. His work is owned by Dr. Halton C. Arp the world renowned astrophysicist and expert on quasars. In 1996, Artem organised a workshop/exhibition in Tenerife by members of the International Association for the Astronomical Arts (IAAA) of which, he is a member.
Jess Artem has travelled widely in Europe, N. Africa, Asia and Australia. He currently lives and works in the Canary Islands. Interested equally in aspects of both science and art, a continuing ambition is to forge a consensus between the views of both the scientist and the artist in outlook, exploration and relationship to nature and the universe.
Continuing a childhood fascination with the stars, Artem has spent the past 30 years, or so, exploring quantum comparisons between small particle physics and the (formation of) Solar System. In 1990, he pointed out to Dr. Halton C. Arp that Bode's Law of planetary distances from the Sun closely matches the preferred redshift of quasars - thus helping to provide a link in the chain of quantised mass ratios observed between elementary particles, planetary systems and galaxies.
The selection of 33 paintings shown here (from the artist's collection of some 150 paintings) are typical of the surrealistic style favoured by the artist. The cosmic, spiritual, mystical, humorous and sometimes satirical influences, are some of the qualities that find expression in the work of this unique artist who crosses easily the arbitrary disciplinary boundaries that separate art from science in our age.
Jess Artem is also the author of a - as yet unpublished - book entitled: Beyond The Looking Glass - The cosmos in a post-telescope age. This book discusses the nature of the universe from the artist's own perspective.
Enquires with regard to sales, exhibitions or commissions (or just comments) may be sent to the following e-mail address: jessartem@arrakis.es