Charlotte, NC – December 21, 2024 – The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is set to present Virginia Jaramillo: Principle of Equivalence, the first comprehensive retrospective of the groundbreaking Latina artist’s 60-year career. Opening February 8, 2025, the exhibition will feature 70 exceptional paintings and handmade paper works created between 1963 and 2023, offering a rare and in-depth look at Jaramillo’s profound impact on postwar American abstraction.
Curated by Erin Dziedzic, former Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri, the retrospective will travel to Charlotte following its presentation at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. It is organized locally by Bechtler Curator Katia Zavistovski.
“This exhibition marks a pivotal moment in the recognition of Virginia Jaramillo’s exceptional contributions to American modernism,” said Todd D. Smith, Executive Director of the Bechtler Museum. “Her work challenges the Eurocentric narrative of abstraction and highlights the profound influence of diverse cultural perspectives on the postwar art movement.”
Jaramillo, born in El Paso, Texas, in 1939, is celebrated for her innovative use of form, color, and material. Throughout her career, she has explored both earthly and metaphysical realms through abstract painting and her distinctive handmade paper works. Drawing inspiration from diverse sources, including ancient cultures, mythology, and scientific theories, Jaramillo’s art merges the aesthetic with the philosophical, offering a deeper reflection on the forces that shape our world.
“Virginia Jaramillo’s work represents a vital yet underrecognized chapter in the story of American modernism,” said Smith. “Her visionary approach, both in her use of materials and in her exploration of color and form, has had a lasting impact on abstraction and continues to resonate today.”
The exhibition is organized chronologically, presenting six distinct series that span Jaramillo’s remarkable career:
- The Black Paintings (1963-65): Early works inspired by the earth tones of the California desert, showcasing Jaramillo’s innovative use of material to create rich textures.
- The Paris Paintings (1965): A transformative series created during her year in Paris, where her color palette evolved, revealing a new direction in her work.
- The Curvilinear Paintings (Late 1960s-1970s): A breakthrough body of work featuring dynamic, precisely rendered lines that leap across expansive fields of color.
- The Stained Paintings (1970s): Ethereal works characterized by aqueous, multilayered veils of paint that seem to shift and dissolve in space.
- Handmade Paper Works (1979-2000s): Works crafted from pulverized linen fiber and hand-ground pigments, often evoking archaeological sites, scientific theories, and the cosmos.
- Recent Paintings (2018-2023): Contemporary works that continue Jaramillo’s exploration of geographical, metaphysical, and mythical realms, maintaining her long-standing engagement with both material and meaning.
The exhibition not only highlights the evolution of Jaramillo’s art but also the depth of her engagement with abstraction. According to Zavistovski, “This long-overdue retrospective foregrounds Jaramillo’s significant contributions to postwar abstraction. Her innovative exploration of materials and her sustained interest in the metaphysical aspects of abstraction set her apart as one of the most distinctive voices in American modernism.”
In addition to the exhibition, a fully illustrated catalog, published by Yale University Press, will accompany the show. The publication features scholarly essays that examine Jaramillo’s contributions to American abstraction, her innovative artmaking techniques, and her role in expanding the boundaries of modernist practice.
The Bechtler Museum’s presentation of Virginia Jaramillo: Principle of Equivalence underscores its ongoing mission to illuminate the diverse narratives within the global modernist movement. By showcasing artists who have historically been underrepresented, the museum continues to push the boundaries of how modernism is understood and celebrated.
The Bechtler Museum, located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, is home to a significant collection of modernist works, including pieces by Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. Opened in 2010, the museum is a vibrant cultural hub, offering dynamic exhibitions, educational programming, and live events that celebrate both established and emerging artists.
For more information about the exhibition and museum programs, visit www.bechtler.org.
