Jerry Rudquist "A Life's Work" 2025

SEPTEMBER 6 - OCTOBER 11, 2025

A LIFE'S WORK

This catalog presents images from Groveland Gallery’s exhibition of Jerry Rudquist’s work, held by his family since the time of his death in 2001.Athematic retrospective, the exhibit demonstrates the interconnected premise and contemporary relevance of the multiple series throughout Rudquist’s career.Additional available artworks are included in the catalog, which in total are a portion of the more than two hundred artworks arriving at Groveland Gallery from the Rudquist estate.

The exhibition begins with the captivating colorwork shown in Rudquist’s head studies and figurative work. While a likeness is achieved in these studies, Rudquist’s ultimate goal was the study of the shape of a sitter’s head and the uniqueness of their features. Color becomes the star of the show. Rudquist's coloristic decisions, as demonstrated in "Head Study -Alice" and "Descriptive Study - Runner", are relevant thirty and forty years later in the current environment of online creative content.Artists born after 2000 use the language of graphic design found in Rudquist's figurative work: contrast, saturation, boldness, balance, negative space, gradient, etc., to boost engagement in a sensory speedway of information.

"Head Study - Nose" and an early "Head and Figure" provide the connection between Rudquist's extensive workings in figurative and abstract practices.The two paintings are similarly composed, presenting a head in profile with limited description of other facial features. Over decades of working in abstraction, traces of the human form are frequently evident as limbs, torsos, tendons and bone.

Thematic and visual relevance in Rudquist's work of the late 20th century remains, twenty four years after his death. In his "Must WeAlways Expect War" series (not installed in the exhibition), Rudquist artfully and painfully examines the self-destructive nature of humanity, combining corporeal imagery and existential abstraction.The timeliness of Rudquist's examinations extend further into the present to include the uncertainty and marvel of space exploration. Rudquist's participation in NASA's FineArt Program of the mid 1960s resulted in the "Gemini" series of paintings (not installed in the exhibition), whose bold, brutalist forms are consistent with Rudquist's early abstract work.

Beyond Jerry Rudquist's tangible legacy of this remarkable body of work, are the myriad students who continue the practices he taught, and those students' students, in perpetuity.Alifetime of sharing ideas built a sustained network of artists whose work it is to grapple with questions of art, science, and philosophy.

It is my honor to present this exhibition on behalf of the family of Jerry Rudquist.

Andrea Bubula Director, Groveland Gallery 2025

JERRY RUDQUIST

ATwin Cities artist whose career spanned four decades, Jerry Rudquist was an integral member of the national art community. Rudquist earned his BFAfrom Minneapolis College ofArt and Design in 1956 and his MFAin 1958 from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. He began teaching at Macalester College in St. Paul in 1958, where remained until his retirement in 2000. In 1963, Rudquist was honored with a solo exhibition at the WalkerArt Center and later, in 1971, with a solo exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute ofArts. Between 1997 and 1998, Rudquist was the subject of a traveling exhibition, Rudquist/Reconsidering, which was shown at four Minnesota colleges and universities.At the time of his death in 2001, Rudquist was considered one of the Midwest’s most significant artists.

Selected Exhibitions

2025 A Life’s Work: The Jerry Rudquist Estate, Groveland Gallery

2008 In Retrospect, solo exhibition, Groveland Gallery

1998 Beyond Reconsidering, solo exhibition, Groveland Gallery

1997-98 Rudquist/Reconsidering, retrospective exhibition, Bemidji State University,; Moorhead State University,; St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN; MCAD

1996 Rudquist at Rourke, solo exhibition, Rourke Art Gallery Museum, Moorhead, MN

1992 Originals and Replicas, solo exhibition, Suzanne Kohn Gallery, St. Paul

1991 Macalester Faculty Art Exhibition, Macalester College (also 1990, 1986)

1990 The Academic Dialogue, Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Plains Art Museum National Printmaking Exhibition, Plains Art Museum, Moorhead, MN

1989 Solo Exhibition, Concordia College, Moorhead, MN

1986 Print Invitational, Steensland Gallery, St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN

Tenth Anniversary Exhibition, MAEP, Minneapolis Institute of Arts

1981 Five Painters, Minneapolis Institute of Arts

1979 Selections from the Permanent Collection, Art of the Region, Walker Art Center

1978 National Drawing Invitational, Emporia State University, Emporia, KS (also 1977)

1977 Invitation 1977-Ten Painters, Walker Art Center

1973 World Print Competition, purchase award, San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, CA

1971 Solo Exhibition, Minneapolis Institute of Arts

1963 Solo Exhibition, Walker Art Center

1961 Solo Exhibition, Kilbride-Bradley Art Gallery, Minneapolis

Collections

Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Walker Art Center; General Mills; Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis; Target Corporation; First National Bank Minnesota; 3M Company; The Sperry Corporation; American National Bank, St. Paul; Reliastar; Oppenheimer Law Firm, St. Paul; Hospital Corporation of America, Nashville, TN; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA; Washington University, Seattle, WA; Chase Manhattan Bank, New York, NY; Kaiser Industries, Oakland, CA; Osaka University of Arts, Japan; Portland Museum of Art, Portland, OR; Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul; Reader’s Digest Corporation; Hennepin County Medical Center; Prudential Insurance Company; Piper Sandler

INTRODUCTION

This collection from the Jerry Rudquist estate represents the work left behind in two of his studio spaces when he passed away in 2001.As Jerry’s daughters, we've had the opportunity to look closely at his lifetime of work, gaining new understanding of his processes and the legacy he left behind.The artworks in this collection include many that have never been displayed: drawings, paintings, and prints created from the 1950s-2001.

Jerry was a prolific artist, known to carry a drawing book with him everywhere. He recorded his observations of the people and world around him through drawing. His early work consists of closely observed figurative drawings and paintings of his family, friends, and once he began art school at Minneapolis College ofArt and Design (MCAD), models in the studio. He worked closely with Paul Olson at MCAD where we see a refinement in his drawing and approach to the human form. He attended Cranbrook Academy ofArt for his MFA, where he first explored abstract expressionism.Throughout his life, Jerry studied the history of painting. His interest in color theory led to an intense understanding of what he called “the structures of color; hue, value and saturation.” Aformer student referred to Jerry as the “guru of color.” Jerry was inquisitive and curious about the world, constantly reading, attending exhibitions and engaging with people.Another student once said that if you were lucky enough to have coffee with Jerry, he may give you a short lesson about a recent exhibition or old master work he'd seen.

Jerry consistently worked in series and variations of themes, beginning with the Head Study series in the 1950s.These paintings demonstrate his ability to render unmistakable representations of individuals through unexpected color combinations.The abstract Head and Figure series is featured prominently in this collection. Jerry’s notebooks are filled with pages of variations, examples of how he used color to create abstract forms based on the human figure. Other series represented in this collection include Moving Man, WarFlower, Chaos, Window and Celebrity Chair.

Lastly, this collection features two particularly significant series that the family hopes to donate to a museum: Gemini and Must We Always Expect War Gemini emerged from Jerry’s participation in the NASAFineArt Program during the mid-1960s and was later the focus of a solo exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute ofArt in 1970. Originally comprising twelve paintings, nine are included in this collection.Awriter once described them as “a meditation on the uncanniness of space as experienced by our earth-bound bodies.”The first Must We Always Expect War painting was made in 1956, when Jerry was 21 years old, in response to the Korean War. He continued Must We Always Expect War in response to subsequent world conflicts involving the U.S., completing sixteen paintings in this series before his death in 2001.

Recently, we found an inscription in one of his drawing books that speaks to his legacy:

“to a student: Because you are unique, there are things you can do that no one else can. Do them with passion.”

We are grateful for the opportunity to share our father’s unique vision and passion with you.

– Monica Rudquist and Michelle C. RudquistAnton

FIGURATIVE WORK

Figure Study

acrylic on canvas | $3,500.00

image: 42.25 x 53.5" | unframed #8313

INQUIRE

Head Study

on ragboard | $900.00 image: 8 x 6" | frame: 15 x 10" #8730

Head Study - Saari

Head Study

oil on ragboard | $900.00

image: 8 x 6" |frame: 15 x 10" #8805

Head Study

oil on ragboard | $900.00

image: 8 x 6" | frame: 15 x 10" #8806

Head Study

acrylic on ragboard | $900.00 image: 6 x 8" | frame: 15 x 10" #8733

Head Study - Jeremy 1994 | charcoal & acrylic on ragboard | $950.00 image: 30 x 22" | framed #8807 INQUIRE

Head Study early 1990s | charcoal & acrylic on ragboard | $800.00 image: 30 x 22" | unframed #8898

Head Study

1994 | charcoal & acrylic on ragboard | $800.00

image: 30 x 22" | unframed

#8899

Head Study/Bart (Bart Schneider - writer)

1998 | charcoal & acrylic on ragboard | $800.00

image: 30 x 22" | unframed #8894

Head Study

|

Head Study - Elyan

Head Study

acrylic on ragboard | $900.00

image: 8 x 6" | frame: 15 x 10" #8731

Head Study

acrylic on ragboard | $900.00 image: 8 x 6" | frame: 15 x 10" #8729

Head Study

acrylic on ragboard | $900.00 image: 8 x 6" | frame: 15 x 10" #8732

Head Study - Alice

Head Study

acrylic on ragboard | $900.00 image: 8 x 6" | frame: 15 x 10" #8740

Head Study

on ragboard | $900.00 image: 8 x 6" | frame: 15 x 10" #8739

Head Study

acrylic on ragboard | $900.00 image: 13.5 x 9" | unframed #8794

Head Study

on ragboard | $900.00 image: 8 x 6" | frame: 15 x 10" #8738

Head Study - Nooresha 1985 | oil on ragboard | $1,450.00 image: 40 x 30" | frame: 40 x 30" #8811

Head Study - Red Hat oil on ragboard | $1,450.00 image: 40 x 30" | frame: 40 x 30" #8808

Descriptive Study - Runner 1984 | oil on ragboard | $1,450.00 image: 40 x 30" | frame: 40 x 30" #8810

Head Study - Nose

1983 | oil on ragboard | $1,450.00 image: 30 x 40" | frame: 30 x 40" #8809

HEAD AND FIGURE

Head and Figure: Double Drawn Head

1978 | charcoal & acrylic on ragboard | $2,000.00

image: 30 x 40" | framed #8702 INQUIRE

Head and Figure: Mushrob

1973 | acrylic on ragboard | $1,800.00 image: 22.5 x 37.25" #8717

Head and Figure: Brown Wall

1973 | acrylic on ragboard | $1,800.00 image: 22.5 x 37.25" #8689

Head and Figure: Mosquito Man

1973 | acrylic on ragboard | $1,800.00 image: 22.5 x 37.50" #8691

Head and Figure: Boy Bridge

1973 | acrylic on ragboard | $1,800.00 image: 22.5 x 37.25" #8716

Head and Figure

1994 | acrylic on ragboard | $1,800.00 image: 29 x 39" #8692

Head and Figure

1996-97 | acrylic on ragboard | $1,800.00 image: 28.75 x 38.5" #8688

Head and Figure

1995 | acrylic | $1,800.00 image: 28 x 38" #8703

EARLY ABSTRACTS

Untitled 1961 | oil on canvas | $3,000.00 image: 40 x 48" | frame: 41 x 49" #8958

INQUIRE

1963| acrylic on board | $500.00 image: 4.75 x 8.25" | frame: 10 x 15" #8720

Muse II

1963 | acrylic | $350.00 image: 4.5 x 8" | unframed #8721

Moving Man/Title Board oil on ragboard | $700.00 image: 13.5 x 9.25" | frame: 16 x 12" #8770

INQUIRE

Man/Wosher oil on ragboard | $1,200.00

image: 13.5 x 9.25" | frame: 16 x 12" #8768

Untitled oil on ragboard | $1,200.00

image: 12 x 9" | frame: 16 x 12" #8759

| $1,200.00

image: 13.5 x 9.75" | frame: 16 x 12"

| $1,200.00

image: 13.5 x 9.25" | frame: 16 x 12"

Cave Creek/Rock X 1996 | oil on ragboard | $1,500.00 image: 8 x 6" | unframed #8723

STRUCTURES

INQUIRE

Celebrity Chairs/Saddam Hussein/Chair of Subrational Relations oil on ragboard | $1,800.00 image: 15.75 x 14" | frame: 30 x 22" #8799

Celebrity Chairs/Sorn Kieerkegaard/Chair of Poised Theology oil on ragboard | $1,800.00 image: 15.75 x 14" | frame: 30 x 22" #8798

Window

1980 | oil on ragboard | $1,500.00 image: 10.75 x 18" | unframed #8706

Ghost 1985 | oil on ragboard | $600.00 image: 12 x 9" | unframed #8766

1987 | monotype | $500.00 image: 16 x 13" | unframed #8744

Brown Dock/Grey Sky Window

1981 | oil on ragboard | $1,500.00 image: 9 x 6" | unframed #8724

Bar Window II

1987 | monotype | $950.00 image: 17 x 14" | frame: 30 x 22" #8712

Green Bar Window III

1987 | monotype | $950.00 image: 17 x 14" | frame: 30 x 22" #8711

FLOWER

GEMINI

oil on masonite | each image: 9.25 x 5.5" | panel size: 10 x 16.25" | framed #9059

1964-66 Series to be sold or donated as a set.