About Jim Henson
Jim Henson began his artistic career with the simplest of tools-a pencil and paper. When he moved on to film and television he continued, with enthusiasm and humor, to draw. He drew everywhere- in meetings, in restaurants, at home. Drawing, it might be suggested, was a way of thinking visually.
Henson's first media included the sketchbook page, the bordered cartoon, and the painter's canvas. Soon, television and later, film would enter the picture. To Jim, the screen was a magical easel on which drawings could come to life, trade snappy patter, sing songs, and sometimes blow each other up! But this selection of Henson's 'Designs and Doodles' shows us that his early dedication to visual art was not replaced by his phenomenal breakthroughs in puppetry, acting, writing, television, production, filmmaking, and directing. Rather, it reveals that throughout his life he continued, with enthusiasm and humor, to explore all the possible ways of creating art.
Born September 24, 1936, Henson spent his early years in Leland, Mississippi. When Jim was in the fifth grade, the Hensons moved to Hyattsville, Maryland where Jim, often with his older brother Paul, experimented with a variety of artistic techniques. He attended Northwestern High School, providing cover art and spot illustrations for student publications, creating program designs and sets for drama department productions, and joining the decorating committee of the senior prom.
In 1954, Jim entered the University of Maryland, majoring in commercial art and starting a successful silkscreen poster business. At the same time, he made his first foray into television. Working with his future wife, Jane Nebel, he produced a five-minute nightly show, Sam and Friends, for the local NBC affiliate. Jim designed the puppets, built the sets, and wrote the scripts, laying the groundwork for the explosion of creativity that was to follow during the next thirty-five years.
As a brilliant innovator, Jim Henson sought to stretch the capabilities of advancing technology. As a preeminent popular artist, he contributed to the diverse visual vocabulary of the twentieth century. And as a performer of genius, he brought delight and wonder to an international audience. From quick sketches to stop-motion animation to puppetry, he constantly delighted in finding new ways for his vision to break through constraints and conventions.
All of this artwork is by Jim Henson and comes from the Henson Family Collection. The exhibit was made possible with the support of the Jim Henson Legacy, the Jim Henson Company, and the University of Maryland Libraries' National Public Broadcasting Archives. Although not intended for posterity, these drawings allow us a rare peek into the imagination of a creative genius and brilliant innovator who brought delight and wonder to audiences around the globe.
