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Christina Ramberg: A Retrospective
A deep look at Christina Ramberg’s life and work, the origins of her influential investigations of form and femininity, and the evolution of her artistic vision
Christina Ramberg (1946–1995) first gained renown for her acrylic-on-board paintings from the 1960s and 1970s that feature stylized fragments of female figures. Often associated with Chicago Imagism, Ramberg’s distinct linear approach was informed by a wide range of popular and art-historical sources, resulting in works that are both highly polished and grippingly enigmatic. The first comprehensive consideration of the artist since her death, this study considers the full scope of her practice—from her intimate early scrapbooks and drawings to her late-career geometric abstractions—and includes the first substantive discussion of her often-overlooked quiltmaking. Essays from both scholars and artists situate Ramberg within her Chicago-based network of colleagues and approach her work from a variety of perspectives, such as gender and sexual identity, the body and disability studies, artistic craft, canon formation, and pedagogical practice. Featuring never-before-published diaries, sketchbooks, slides, and ephemera, this lavishly illustrated volume provides an unprecedentedly full picture of Ramberg’s lifelong fascination with patterns and formal variation and her impact on the art of the twentieth century.
Distributed for The Art Institute of Chicago
Exhibition
The Art Institute of Chicago
(April 20–August 11, 2024)
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
(October 6, 2024–January 5, 2025)
Philadelphia Museum of Art
(February–June 2025)
Christina Ramberg (1946–1995) first gained renown for her acrylic-on-board paintings from the 1960s and 1970s that feature stylized fragments of female figures. Often associated with Chicago Imagism, Ramberg’s distinct linear approach was informed by a wide range of popular and art-historical sources, resulting in works that are both highly polished and grippingly enigmatic. The first comprehensive consideration of the artist since her death, this study considers the full scope of her practice—from her intimate early scrapbooks and drawings to her late-career geometric abstractions—and includes the first substantive discussion of her often-overlooked quiltmaking. Essays from both scholars and artists situate Ramberg within her Chicago-based network of colleagues and approach her work from a variety of perspectives, such as gender and sexual identity, the body and disability studies, artistic craft, canon formation, and pedagogical practice. Featuring never-before-published diaries, sketchbooks, slides, and ephemera, this lavishly illustrated volume provides an unprecedentedly full picture of Ramberg’s lifelong fascination with patterns and formal variation and her impact on the art of the twentieth century.
Distributed for The Art Institute of Chicago
Exhibition
The Art Institute of Chicago
(April 20–August 11, 2024)
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles
(October 6, 2024–January 5, 2025)
Philadelphia Museum of Art
(February–June 2025)
- GenresArt
254 pages, Hardcover
Published May 28, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 11, 2026
Overall, I thought that this was a great retrospective of Ramberg’s work. Some essays were definitely stronger than others, which is why I’m giving it 4 stars. To me the best essays were about her dairies and quilts. They did a great job at exploring Ramberg’s inner life, community, and inspiration for her work. The standout essay was definitely Lorri Gunn’s “Remembering Chris” where she spoke about their friendship and the shenanigans they got into with their Chicago Imagists group of friends. The ending almost brought tears to my eyes. The grief of losing a close friend is unexplainable.
July 28, 2024
Exhibition catalog from the Christina Ramberg retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago, 2024.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews