1959 born in Brazil, IN, US
1982 B.F.A., The Art Academy of Cincinnati, OH, US
1984 M.F.A., The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL, US
lives and works in Chicago, US
Judy Ledgerwood has created canvases and wall paintings in which ornament and color play a major role since the 1980s. The artist intentionally takes her own position within recent art history and challenges its prevailing, supposedly fixed premises and role assignments. She adopts influences from color field and action painting and combines them with simple geometric patterns reminiscent of popular culture and textile design, and often associated with femininity. Judy Ledgerwood thus arrives at colorful, strong, and sensual compositions that postulate ornament as an artistic design element.
2022 «Judy Ledgerwood Insert», Häusler Contemporary Zürich, CH
2019 «Color Walks», 1301PE, Los Angeles, US
«Beyond Beauty», Häusler Contemporary Zürich, CH
«Power Pose», Barbara David Gallery, Houston, US
2018 «Judy Ledgerwood», Rhona Hoffman, Chicago, US
«Chromatic Patterns for Bluhm Family Terrace», The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, US
2017 «Every Day is Different», Häusler Contemporary München, DE
2016 «Pussy Poppin’ Power», Tracy Williams Ltd, New York, US
2015 «Lose Loos», Häusler Contemporary Lustenau, AT
2014 «Chromatic Patterns for the Graham Foundation», Graham Foundation for the Advanced Study of Fine Art, Chicago, US
2013 «Chromatic Patterns for the Smart Museum», Smart Museum, The University of Chicago, Chicago, US
«Passing Through Color», Häusler Contemporary, München, DE
«Fields and Flowers», Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, US
«Love, Power, Color», Rhona Hoffmann Gallery, Chicago, US
2012 «Hello Again», Häusler Contemporary Zürich, CH
«Hamburg Art Weekend», America Center, Hamburg, DE
2011 Chromatic Patterns for Chicago and Blob Paintings, Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, US
«April Showers», Tracy Williams Ltd., New York, New York, US
2010 «Thinking of You», Häusler Contemporary München, DE
«Chromophilia», 1301PE, Los Angeles, US
2008 «Another Day», Häusler Contemporary, Zürich, CH
2007 «Hard Jam», Tracy Williams Ltd., New York, US
2005 «Get Up», Häusler Contemporary München, DE
«Spring Fever,» Tracy Williams, Ltd., New York, US
2023 «50 Paintings», Milwaukee Art Museum, US
2019 «Nur Skulptur», Häusler Contemporary München, DE
2018 «Surface/Depth: The Decorative After Miriam Schapiro», Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, US
2017 «Riot Grrrls», Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, US
2016 «To Sophie, Sonia, Elsa, Hannah...», Häusler Contemporary Zürich, CH
2014 «Alles Papier!», Häusler Contemporary München, DE
2012 «Painters Painting», Atlanta Center for Contemporary Art, Atlanta, Georgia, US
«Block Collection», Block Museum of Art, Evanston, IL, US «Spectral Landscape with Viewing Stations», curated by John Neff and Pamela Fraser at Gallery 400, University of Illinois, Chicago, US
2011 «Two Fold», The Suburban, Oak Park, IL, US
2010 «Contemporary Collecting: Selections from the Donna and Howard Stone Collection, The Art Institute of Chicago», Chicago, IL, US
2009 «Constellations: Paintings from the MCA Collection», Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, IL
«Pop Sizzle Hum», Tony Wight Gallery Chicago, IL, US
«The Anniversary Show», Tracy Williams, Ltd, New York City, US
2008 «Construction», 1301PE, Los Angeles, CA, US
2006 «Takeover», Hyde aPark Art Center, Chicago, IL, US
«Figures in the Field», Figurative Sculpture and Abstract Painting from Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, US
2005 «Traces Everywhere,» Tracy Williams, Ltd., New York, US
2004 «Cindy Bernard, Richard Dupont, Judy Ledgerwood», Tracy Williams, Ltd., New York, US
«The Center is Anywhere», Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, US
«CHROMA», Lemberg Gallery, Ferndale, US
«Judy Ledgerwood, Julie Mangold, Sol Le Witt», Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, US
«Ugly Beauty», 1301 PE, Los Angeles, US
2003 «New Paintings» Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, US
«Flora: The Beauty of Botanicals in Art», Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, US
2002 «Life Death Love Hate Pleasure Pain», Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, US
«Multiformity: Multiples from MCA Collection», Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, US 1301 PE, Los Angeles, US
2002 «TEST PATTERN», 111 Minnea Street, San Francisco. US
2001 «College Proofs: The Riverhouse Editions Collection at the Mary and Lee Block Museum Of Art», Northwestern University, Evanston, US
Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago, US
«Stuffed», 1301 PE, Santa Monica, US
«Serendipity», Thomas McCormic Gallery, Chicago, US
«White Light», University Galleries, IL State University, US
«Concept Art», Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
2000 «Maximal Minimal», Feigen Contemporary, New York, US
«The Circle Show», bona fide, Chicago, US
«Glimmer», Gahlberg Gallery, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, US
Feigen Contemporary New York, US
1999 «Cold Days» The Renaissance Society, Chicago, IL, US «Calendar 2000», Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annadale-on-Hudson, US
1998 «Exploiting the Abstract», Feigen Contemporary New York, US
1997 Feigen Contemporary New York, US «New Works», Feigen, Inc. Chicago, US
1996 «Inaugural Exhibition», Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, US
Richard L. Feigen & Co. New York, US
1995 Feigen, Inc., Chicago, US Christopher Grimes Gallery, Santa Monica, US
«25 Americans: Painting in the 90's», Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, US
1994 «Nature, Revolution: A Gallery Project», FerndaleI, US
1993 «A Grand Tour», The Swiss Institute, New York, US
«Celestial», Gallery in the Champion Lobby Champion, International Corp., Stamford, US
Germans Van Eck Gallery, New York, US
1992 «Why Paint?», The Renaissance Society, The University of Chicago, US
Hanes Art Center Glass Gallery, Chapel Hill, US
1991 Richard Green Gallery, Santa Monica, US
1989 Scott Hanson Gallery, New York, US
American Embassy, San Salvador, El Salvador, ES
Chicago Public Library, Chicago, US
Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art, US
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, US
Milwaukee Museum of Art, Wisconsin, US
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, US
The Art Institute of Chicago, US
The Block Museum, Evanston, US
1982 BFA, The Academy of Cincinnati, OH, US
1982 Wilder Travelling Fellowship, awarded by the Art Academy of Cincinnati, US
1984 MFA, School of Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, US
1985 Illinois Arts Council Chairman's Grant, US
1993 National Endowment for the Arts Grant, US
1997 The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award, US
Center for Interdisciplinary Research in the Arts Grant, Northwestern University, Poet Masterprinter Exchange, US
1998 Center for Interdisciplinary Research in the Arts Grant, Northwestern University, US
2000 URGC, Nothwestern University, Moracco, US
Northwestern Alumni Grant, Art Theory and Practice, Department website, US