Gertrude Abercrombie
Gertrude Abercrombie
Gertrude Abercrombie (b. 1909, Austin, d. 1977, Chicago) studied at the University of Illinois and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A central fixture of Chicago’s mid century jazz and Hyde Park Arts scene, Abercrombie is often coined the “queen of bohemian artists.” Her painted dreamscapes feature recurring motifs inspired by her daily life, grounding components of her fantastical scenes in an identifiable reality. Abercrombie explains, “Surrealism is for me because I am a pretty realistic person but don’t like all I see. So I dream that it is changed. Then I change it to the way I want it. It is almost always pretty real. Only mystery and fantasy have been added. All foolishness has been taken out. It becomes my own dream.”
Selected solo exhibitions include the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; Karma, New York; Illinois State Museum, Springfield; and Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago. Abercrombie’s work is included in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago; Illinois State Museum, Springfield; Milwaukee Art Museum; Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia; RISD Museum, Providence, Rhode Island; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC; and Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
Past Exhibitions
Selected Press
Artforum
Darren Jones
“Gertrude Abercrombie”
September 23, 2023
- ...Read Article
NPR
Neda Ulaby
“A midcentury 'jazz witch' artist finds a fandom in the future”
October 28, 2021
- ...Read Article
The New York Times
Roberta Smith
“This Surrealist Is Having a Moment, 66 Years After Her Last New York Show”
August 29, 2018
- ...Read Article
News Highlights
Observer
Elisa Carollo
“Untitled Art Miami Beach and NADA Kick Off Miami Art Week in a Cautious Market That Rewards Ambition”
December 4, 2024
- ...Read Article
Artnet
Annie Armstrong
“At NADA Miami, Collectors Are ‘Ready to Buy Stuff,’ But the Dance Floor Is Far From Crowded”
December 4, 2024
- ...Read Article
Frieze
Will Fenstermaker
“Vicky Colombet's Paintings Transcend Place”
November 26, 2024
- ...Read Article
Hyperallergic
Matt Stromberg
“10 Art Shows to See in Los Angeles this November”
October 30, 2024
- ...Read Article
FERNBERGER
747 N Western Avenue, Los Angeles
Tuesday to Saturday
10am to 6pm