William Paul Jenkins, known as Paul Jenkins, was born in 1923 in Kansas City, Missouri, where he spent his formative years. His early encounters with architectural luminary Frank Lloyd Wright, commissioned by Jenkins’ great-uncle to rebuild a church after a fire, hinted at a different path. However, Jenkins harboured a deep-seated passion for painting, influenced by visits to the Eastern art collection at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

In his teens, Jenkins relocated to Struthers, Ohio, where he lived with his mother and stepfather, proprietors of the local newspaper. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Maritime Service and later the U.S. Naval Air Corps during World War II. Post-war, he embarked on his artistic journey in New York City, studying under Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Morris Kantor at the Art Students League of New York, alongside luminaries like Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock.

In 1953, Jenkins ventured to Europe, spending time in Taormina, Sicily, before settling in Paris, France. From 1955 onwards, he divided his time between New York and Paris, honing his distinctive artistic style that would later captivate audiences worldwide.

In 1953, he embarked on a transformative journey through Italy and Spain before finding his artistic home in Paris. His debut solo exhibition at Studio Paul Facchetti in 1954 marked the beginning of his ascent in the art world. Momentum surged with showcases at esteemed galleries like Zoe Dusanne in Seattle and the Martha Jackson Gallery in New York, where the Whitney Museum of American Art acquired his masterpiece, “Divining Rod.”

The 1960s witnessed Jenkins’ meteoric rise fuelled by his pioneering use of acrylic paints, notably his iconic pouring technique. His influence spanned the globe with exhibitions in Tokyo, London, New York, and Paris, alongside ground-breaking collaborations with Gutai in Osaka. His cinematic venture, “The Ivory Knife,” clinched the prestigious Golden Eagle Award at the 1966 Venice Film Festival.

Transitioning into the 1970s, Jenkins showcased his artistic versatility with forays into sculpture and collage, captivating audiences at retrospectives held by esteemed institutions like the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. Venturing into theatre, he mesmerized audiences at the Paris Opera and collaborated with acclaimed director Jean-Louis Barrault.

Throughout the dynamic 1980s, Jenkins continued to push boundaries, crafting monumental sculptures and forging partnerships with renowned institutions like the Shidoni Foundry in New Mexico. His literary pursuit bore fruit with the acclaimed “Anatomy of a Cloud,” intertwining autobiographical musings with captivating collage.

The 1990s saw Jenkins’ artistic horizons expand further with global exhibitions solidifying his legacy as an artistic luminary. In 2010, the Crocker Art Museum honoured his illustrious career with a retrospective, spotlighting his iconic watercolours and paintings. Across decades, Jenkins’ mesmerizing creations have enraptured audiences worldwide, cementing his status as a trailblazing artist of unparalleled influence.

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