Christina Ramberg

Christina Ramberg, a renowned American painter and part of the Chicago Imagists movement, was a beloved and influential figure in Chicago's contemporary art scene.

Christina Ramberg's Biography: Exploring the Life of the Artist

Born on a Kentucky military base Camp Campbell in 1946 to an army officer father and a music teacher mother, Christina Ramberg's early life was marked by frequent relocations due to her father's service. This included a two-and-a-half-year stint in Yokohama, Japan, when she was just two years old, and attending school in Germany during elementary grades. Back in the United States, the family moved between Kansas, Virginia, and finally, Highwood, Illinois, where Christina graduated from Highland Park High School.

Earning both her Bachelor's (1968) and Master's degrees (1973) in Fine Arts, Ramberg thrived under the mentorship of Ray Yoshida, a key figure in the Chicago Imagists movement. Yoshida, along with other artists, encouraged the use of pop culture imagery from comics and magazines in their art.

At SAIC, Ramberg met her husband, Philip Hanson, another Yoshida student and fellow Imagist. They married in 1968, the same year they both debuted their work in the "False Image" exhibition.

The couple's son, Alexander, was born in 1975. However, the marriage faced challenges by 1980, leading to a separation. Despite this, they remained close throughout their lives.

In 1989, Ramberg received a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. Hanson cared for her until she required assisted living. Sadly, Christina Ramberg's death occurred in 1995 when she was 49 years old.

Christina Ramberg's art has been showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Her solo exhibitions have been showcased at David Nolan Gallery, Carlton Place, The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Adam Baumgold Gallery, Ben Maltz Gallery at Otis College of Art and Design, and Phyllis Kind Gallery, among others.

The most recent group exhibition featuring Christina Ramberg's artwork was held at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin in 2019 and the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead in 2020. Her works also found a home in various institutions, including the Art Institute of Chicago's collection.

Christina Ramberg Artist Impact: Unique Style and Legacy

Christina Ramberg's paintings are best known for depicting fragmented female bodies. However, her artistic journey wasn't limited. Throughout her career, she expertly shifted between depicting various figural elements—hair, hands, torsos, and garments—and creating equally captivating abstract forms that emphasized structure and surface. Her intimate early paintings focused on the patterns and forms of women’s hairstyles and garments while her mature works featured cropped female torsos in lingerie.

In the mid-to-late 1970s, Ramberg advanced her boundary-blurring paintings into a new style that balanced between figuration and abstraction. Her work continued to challenge idealized body types and gender presentations. Her artistic practice shifted away from solely depicting the female figure to encompass less sexualized and even non-human subjects such as urns and chair backs, alongside more abstract shapes. Her human figures shifted from back or profile views to frontal torsos that exhibit a rigid, somewhat robotic quality, blending male and female characteristics.

In the early 1980s, Ramberg shifted her focus from exploring the female body to actively engaging in quilting. Similar to her paintings, her quilts feature crisp and precise patterns, showcasing intricate combinations of contrasting colors and forms.

Christina Ramberg's drawings influenced the paintings for which she is best known. During her lifetime, she did not publicly exhibit her drawings. Instead, she employed them to explore the morphological processes that influenced her paintings.

Her work reflects diverse visual influences, encompassing printed advertisements, fashion layouts, medical illustrations, costume history, and quilting. Ramberg explored the impact of mass culture and vernacular representations of femininity and the body. Initially created during the emergence of the feminist movement, her drawings resonate with modern-day discussions on gender, identity, and the objectification of women's bodies.

Among her well-known works are "Untitled (Curtain over Image)" (1968) and "Untitled (Torso with Leaf)" (1980).

Christina Ramberg for Sale: Overview

Christina Ramberg's works continue to captivate collectors globally and frequently feature in prestigious auctions. These pieces command estimated prices ranging from $3,000 to $50,000, reflecting their significance and appeal in the art market. For instance, her piece Untitled (1980) achieved a notable sale price of $45,000, underscoring the enduring value and demand for her artistic contributions.