Jens Jørgen Thorsen

Jens Jørgen Thorsen was a Danish painter, film director, and multi-artist, known for his provocative ideas and actions. He was born on February 2, 1932, in Holstebro, Denmark. He studied art history and art at the Academy of Fine Arts. From the early 1960s, he carried out numerous situationist actions with Jørgen Nash and others in various public places, including the Danish Academy, the Danish Parliament, and the Royal Danish Theatre.

Thorsen gained fame and notoriety for his controversial plans for a Jesus film titled The Love Affairs of Jesus Christ, which was meant to deal with the sex life of Jesus, causing international uproar, accusations of blasphemy, and death threats. This led to the Danish Film Institute withdrawing its support for the film. He later made another Jesus film, Jesus Returns, and the films Silent Days in Clichy, based on a novel by Henry Miller, and the documentaries A Year with Henry and Light.

Thorsen was also an artist who painted both pictures and planks using a brush, his fingers, and even his penis. His last paintings were often titled "Chaos" and were made in a wild, informal style. Thorsen collaborated with Jørgen Nash, J V Martin, and Tom Krøjer and worked for socially transformative art.

He was also an art critic who wrote for Paletten, Social-Demokraten, and Ekstra Bladet, and authored several books on Danish art and artists. He was widely recognized in Denmark for his knowledge of art history, especially after participating in DR TV's Art Quiz programs in the 1980s and after the publication of his book Modernisme i dansk malerkunst (1987).

Thorsen died on November 15, 2000, in Våxtorp, Laholm Municipality, Halland County, Sweden. He is buried at Assistens Cemetery in Nørrebro, Copenhagen.