Associate Professor of Art Chris Janzen, M.F.A., has a new art exhibition in October 2026 at Fig Tree Gallery, 644 Van Ness Ave, Downtown Fresno, opening reception: Thursday 10/1/26, 5-8pm.
Further Down the Scroll is a solo exhibition of drawings, paintings, and mixed media artworks which continue his practice of using images from his social media “doomscrolling” as source material for the work’s subject matter.
“My intention is to find a way out of the void of endless Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, internet-surfing, using the images I linger on as the building-blocks of the paintings. Some works deconstruct the images from my social media feed, others explore the fragmented nature of our collective attention-spans in an era of screen-time ubiquity.”
Each artwork was created during periods of playful improvisation. Works began with charcoal scribbles, splattered paint, and compositions inspired by both print and digital media including movie posters, books, magazines, personal photographs, and social media screenshots. “My aim is to create works that reflect honesty, truth, and righteousness. Sometimes that is through social commentary, encouraging viewers to assess whether their phone use is getting in the way of personal growth. Or a painting can be a sort of joyful noise; a rejoicing in the pure joy of combining colors, lines, and textures to create visual beauty.”
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Screentime, acrylic, tempera, macaroni noodles, and oil on canvas,18”x48”, originates from a popular internet video featuring an obese cat that lies on its back and exerts the bare-minimum energy necessary to interact with a cat toy. The painting depicts a woman’s face on the left who is eyeing the lazy cat with skepticism and/or contempt. The right side of the composition consists of a large blue ring-shaped cat toy (containing a ping-pong ball for the cat to bat around the loop), and a winding series of cat paws, legs, and tails. The painting is a warning: we can waste many hours mindlessly flipping through mindless content like this. There is no end to the internet cat video playlist.
Noise, another mixed media work combining collage, acrylic, pastel, graphite, charcoal and oil on canvas, is a painting measuring 32”x40” which consists of a figure holding an over-sized object resembling a popsicle, surrounded by a sea of multi-colored gestural lines, shapes, and textures. “The popsicle is a metaphor for the smart phone in my work. Our addiction to phone screens is comparable to our dependance on sugary over-processed food.”
The conceptual framework of music, particularly the improvisational nature of jazz, is another integral part of Janzen’s creative process.
“Creating a visual artwork is analogous to creating a piece of music in the recording studio: I layer forms on top of each other, push and pull the shapes and colors until balanced, and ultimately leave the composition when an overall sense of unity is achieved.”
Viewers will have the unique opportunity to both see and hear Janzen at the artist’s second reception on Wednesday October 14, 7-9pm, when he will perform on guitar and electronics with New York-based guitarist Aaron Quinn, and saxophonist Barbara Mansukhani. The trio will improvise a soundtrack to the exhibit, following the paintings further “down the scroll.”
More info about the artist - www.chrisjanzen.info
Reception 1 - Thursday, October 1, 2026, 5-8pm
Reception 2 – Wednesday, October 14, 7-9pm with 8pm music performance by NY guitarist Aaron Quinn, local saxophonist Barbara Mansukhani, and Chris Janzen on guitar.
Location - Fig Tree Gallery, 644 Van Ness Ave, Fresno CA
Gallery Hours - 12-4pm, Fri, Sat, Sun
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