OM.2024.050 - Jane Helslander - USA

OM.2024.050 - Jane Helslander - collage on panel - 8 x 8 inches - Visual Poetry and Color

 Jane Helslander (born 1971) is an American contemporary abstract painter, printmaker, and sculptor based in Austin, Texas. Her work explores non-objective, geometric storytelling, specifically tracking the visual and graphic translation of sound waves, dance movements, and the interconnected narrative of earthly and cosmic spaces. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Artistic Practice & Iconography

• Geometric Forms: Her compositions frequently return to the circle, sphere, and conic sections, which she uses as visual anchors to map out concepts of time, rhythm, and motion. [1]
• Thematic Series: She frequently designs conceptual series reacting to current events and internal landscapes, including works on paper like "Tornado" and her thematic series "Please Scream Inside Your Heart". []
• Interdisciplinary Inspiration: Her creative process is deeply informed by physical dynamics and electronic music, occasionally titling or basing her pieces on folk songs and industrial electronic tracks like Front 242's "Im Rhythmus Bleiben" (Remain in Rhythm). []

Public Commissions & Exhibitions

• DFW Airport Mosaic: In 2004, Helslander completed her first major public art commission, designing a massive 20 x 20-foot circular glass mosaic installation titled "Floating" located inside the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. [1, 2]
• Gallery Presence: Her paintings and works on paper have been showcased in prominent regional venues including Texas's William Campbell Gallery and the Austin-based Women & Their Work collective. [1, 2]

Background & Education

Born in Virginia, Helslander spent her childhood moving between Munich, Germany, and Dallas, Texas. She established her academic foundation in fine arts within the Texas university system: [1]

• BFA in Art: University of Texas at Arlington.
• MFA in Painting & Sculpture: Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth.
• Academic Career: She served as a graduate teaching assistant under Texas artists Jim Woodson and Susan Harrington, and later joined the TCU fine arts adjunct faculty. [1]