Life Mask: A Celebration of Gifts from the Dale Jansen Estate
This exhibition pays tribute to the late philanthropist, collector, and longtime Des Moines Art Center supporter Dale Jansen, who passed away on February 22, 2024. Its title is borrowed from Bruce Nauman鈥檚 1981 lithograph 鈥淟ife Mask,鈥� one of 65 artworks that were donated to the Art Center by Jansen through his estate. Nauman鈥檚 print is a kaleidoscopic interrogation of impressions鈥攖he impression made by a lithographic plate pressed against a wet sheet of paper; the impression of a human face into wax or plaster to create a replica, or life mask; and the impression that a person can leave after death, their legacy.鈥��
The exhibition itself functions as a kind of life mask, an enduring record of Jansen鈥檚 significant collection of prints as well as his deep-rooted investment in the Greater Des Moines community as a whole and in the Art Center specifically, to which he generously contributed as a volunteer, trustee, and honorary trustee for nearly 50 years. This selection from Jansen鈥檚 collection foregrounds his enthusiasm for American artists who came to prominence after World War II. Together, these works are a lasting testament to the care, intellect, and altruism with which Jansen approached both art and life.鈥�
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This exhibition pays tribute to the late philanthropist, collector, and longtime Des Moines Art Center supporter Dale Jansen, who passed away on February 22, 2024. Its title is borrowed from Bruce Nauman鈥檚 1981 lithograph 鈥淟ife Mask,鈥� one of 65 artworks that were donated to the Art Center by Jansen through his estate. Nauman鈥檚 print is a kaleidoscopic interrogation of impressions鈥攖he impression made by a lithographic plate pressed against a wet sheet of paper; the impression of a human face into wax or plaster to create a replica, or life mask; and the impression that a person can leave after death, their legacy.鈥��
The exhibition itself functions as a kind of life mask, an enduring record of Jansen鈥檚 significant collection of prints as well as his deep-rooted investment in the Greater Des Moines community as a whole and in the Art Center specifically, to which he generously contributed as a volunteer, trustee, and honorary trustee for nearly 50 years. This selection from Jansen鈥檚 collection foregrounds his enthusiasm for American artists who came to prominence after World War II. Together, these works are a lasting testament to the care, intellect, and altruism with which Jansen approached both art and life.鈥�
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