Visual Integrity and a Feminist Sensibility in an Atemporal Age
Kjaer is clearly a Modernist, since most of her work shows clear signs of influence from the Abstract Expressionists of the 1950s, the Neo-Expressionists of the 1980s, and work from the German school of the last several decades. But she is a Modernist in a way that never ignores the fact that we live in an atemporal world, where present currents and past styles have collapsed into a timeless stew, sabotaging stylistic periodization. Her art clearly asserts the notion that if we live in an atemporal age, then it is time to tap the wealth of styles available, and mold them into a unique language that addresses both important aesthetic and social issues.
Kjaer at her home in Massachusetts. (Header: Kjaer working on a piece in her home studio.)
For example, she has a decided affinity for Greek mythological stories. Elements from these stories can be found fragmented and buried in many of her canvases. But nothing is ever obvious in her work. The viewer must search the canvas for clues to her visual language. Kjaer’s flair for the subtle and partial disclosure, for a stolen glimpse of some interior dream world, is what turns her paintings into such terrific dramas. There are no shortcuts or overt formulas here. Her best work is organic, improvisatory, and honest.
Of course, many artists over the centuries have explored mythological themes, but Kjaer approaches these themes in a slightly different way. Most of the previous artists to explore mythological themes are men. Kjaer asserts in her bold paintings that their renditions of these stories stem from a distinctly male perspective. Kjaer hopes to brings a woman’s sensibility, and a sophisticated feminist perspective, to her work as an artist.
She believes that art history is clogged with way too many themes subtly, or overtly reflecting male domination, the age-old stories of men attempting to control women’s sexual interests and reproductive rights. Kjaer asserts that these tales are ripe for reinterpretation by female artist today. Kjaer perceives the ambiguity inherent in these stories, and sets out to explore the mysteries embedded in the themes she chooses in many of her paintings.
The artist Alberto Giacometti may represent one of the most compelling examples of Existentialist philosophy in art. Existentialism explores questions related to the meaning, purpose, and value of human existence. And existentialists are deeply concerned with the concept of authenticity as a way of approaching the moral and ethical questions humans face in the course of their lives. These concerns were central to both the paintings and sculptures of Giacometti. In his intensely agitated paintings he usually articulates a lone figure, isolated and caught in a moment of intense angst, staring into the void of the universe. As we contemplate this troubled figure we are forced to face our own confrontation with isolation, our own search for meaning, and our own moral contradictions with the issues surrounding authenticity. Similarly, Giacometti's sculptures, usually roughly hewn figures - thin, emaciated, and standing rigidly upright - present a study in the fragility of humans, not only the fragility of their bodies, but the fragility of the ego and psychological condition.
Ruth Kjaer's deeply complex paintings are directly influenced by Giacometti's pivotal work and show many similarities. Many of her paintings also feature a lone figure looking out at us and confronting the viewer with questions about isolation and the nature of the human condition. But Kjaer's work interrogates the questions raised by Existentialist thought in new ways that go beyond the work of Giacometti. Kjaer often uses literary references, usually derived from Greek mythology, to enhance and deepen her investigation of existential ideas. She also creates a rich atmosphere that surrounds and places her troubled figures in a dream-world, or a world deeply embedded in the human subconscious. But most of all, Kjaer's unique vision, so skillfully rendered on the canvas, has forged a way of presenting a world that's always elusive, a world we vaguely know exists but can't quite grasp. Kjaer's art embodies Frederick Nietzsche's statement that, "It is a rare gift to venture into the unexplored depths of the self, without delusions or fictions, but with an uncorrupted gaze." Kjaer's vision is a perfect example of that rare gift and that uncorrupted gaze.
Kjaer’s strong assertion of contemporary issues, in paintings filled with mystery and drama, make her work both beautiful to behold and challenging to contemplate. In an age characterized by globalization, rapid technological change, and a chaotic political environment, artists face bewildering challenges. Kjaer offers one profound approach for the future direction of art in the twenty-first century.
Guy McLain
Former Director of the Wood Museum of Springfield History in Springfield, Massachusetts
“The universe explored in my paintings is a window into the realm of human emotions and the mysteries underlying our world.
I utilize a process which employs the vocabulary of Abstract Expressionism. This allows me to create an atmosphere and a layering which exposes ambiguous elements suggesting and referencing Greek architecture and mythology, especially Danae and the golden rain, Perseus and Andromeda, as well as Orpheus and Eurydice.
These stories are filled with possibilities for reinterpretation from a feminist philosophical perspective in the modern era. I am focused on the particular challenges faced by women today, and believe strongly that the female characters in these stories provide a field for exploring these issues. I find them significantly relevant to our own time. Patriarchal control, as well as physical and psychological abuse, are still experienced by women today.
Much of my work refers to the idea of America acting as a beacon of hope - “a shining city on a hill”. This title, from the Sermon on the Mount, has been used by modern politicians to assert American Exceptionalism. Is America the model? I present the “Myth of Utopia”. Especially in these uncertain times, the voyage, with its challenges, remains.
My work is never literal. Each painting is hopefully an adventure into an unknown realm, a dreamscape that evokes a mysterious atmosphere, which can be interpreted by the viewer and illuminated by ones’ own experience and perspective.
- Ruth Kjaer
Exhibitions:
2022
Westfield Athenaeum Solo Show, Westfield MA
Danco Modern
2020
Elusie Gallery, East Hampton, MA
2019
Danco Modern, Hatfield, MA
2018
Diana Felber Gallery, West Stockbridge, MA
Elusie Gallery, Easthampton, MA
A3 Gallery, Amherst, MA (Juried)
2016
Westfield State University, One Woman Exhibit, Westfield, MA
Easthampton City Arts, Three Person Show, Easthampton, MA
(Ruth Kjaer, John Colt, Faith Lund)
2015
Easthampton City Arts, One Woman Exhibit, Easthampton, MA
Thanassi Gallery, Provincetown, MA
2014
Easthampton City Arts, Group Exhibition, Easthampton, MA
Thanassi Gallery, Provincetown, MA
2013
D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts
Harriot Tubman House, “Violence Transformed”, Boston, MA
State House “Violence Transformed”, Boston, MA
Pulse Gallery, Springfield, MA
2012
Thanassi Gallery, Provincetown, MA
2011
Racine Art Museum
2010
Thanassi Gallery, Provincetown MA
Racine Art Museum, Prit Exhibition, Racine WI
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Print Exhibition, Milwaukee WI
2009
Cottage Street Studios, Easthampton MA
2006
Smith College, Northampton MA
Amherst Art Alliance-Amherst MA
2004
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Amherst MA
2002
Kane Marie Fine Arts Gellery, Virginia Beach VA
1997
Jill Spanbauer Gallery, Naples FL
1995
Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee WI
Grace Chosy Gallery, Madison WI
1994
Galleria Uno, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Watercolor Wiscosin – Wustum Museum, Racine WI
1993
Outstanding Print Show, Anerson Arts Center, Kenosha WI
1992
Posner Gallery, Milwaukee WI
Made in Milwaukee Print Exhibition, Milwaukee Art Museum
Watercolor Wisconsin, Wustum Museum, Racine WI
Mayor’s Exhibition of Art, Milwaukee WI
1991
Cardinal Stritch College, Milwaukee WI
1990
Wisconsin Academy Gallery, Madison WI
1989
Posner Gallery, Milwaukee WI
Wailoa Cultural Center, Hilo, Hawaii
1988
Bradley Galleries, Milwaukee, WI
Oshkosh Public Museum, Oshkosh, WI
1987
Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX
1986
Posner Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
Waterloo Municipal Galleries, Waterloo, IA
Paine Art Center, Oshkosh, WI
Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
Riveredge Galleries, Mishicot, WI
1984
APSA Gallery, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Minneapolis Art Institute MN
1983
Bradley Galleries, Milwaukee WI
Sneed Gallery, Rockford IL
Viterbo College, LaCrosse WI
1982
Le Musee d’art Haitian, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Seuferer-Chosy Gallery, Madison WI
Milwaukee Museum of Art, Milwaukee WI
1979
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Selected Collections:
Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI
Borg-Warner, Chicago, IL
Allstate Insurance, Chicago, IL
Steelcase, Detroit, Michigan
Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Chicago, IL
Hyatt Regency, Milwaukee, WI
Baker, Knapp & Tubbs, Lonndon, Dallas, Chicago
Arthur Andersen & Co., Sydney, Australia
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
Clark Equipment Company, Buhanan, Michigan
Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, INC., Milwaukee, WI
Kutak, Rock & Huie, Pillsbury Bldg., Minneapolis, MN
Liberty Diversified Industries, Minneapolis, MN
Park National Bank, Minneapolis, MN
University Wisconsin Hospitals, Madison, WI
Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI
Nankin, Schnoll & Co., Milwaukee, WI
Continental Bank Bldg. Milwaukee, WI
WISC-TV, Madison, WI
Hydrite Chemical Co., Milwaukee, WI
Wisconsin Telephone Co., Milwaukee, WI
Ksandr Interior Designs, Chicago, WI
First National Bank,Niles, MI
Racine Steel Castings, Racine, WI
William Manly Interior Design, Milwaukee, WI
ASEA Industrial Systems, Milwaukee, WI
Independence Bank, Waukesha, WI
Madsen Building Corp., Madison, WI
First Bank Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
Charter Medical Group, Chicago, IL
Drexel Heritage, High Point, NC
Bellows & Bellows, Chicago, IL
Milwaukee Art Commission, Milwaukee, WI
Alexander Grant & Co., Madison, WI
Club Key West, Key West, FL
Medical Clinic, Menominee Falls, WI
Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee, WI
University Hospitals, Iowa City, IA
Urban Studies Inc., Milwaukee, WI
First Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI
Oscar Meyer Co., Madison, WI
Birtcher Properties-The Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Republic Savings & Loan Corporate Offices, Milwaukee, WI
Wyndham Hotel, Milwaukee Center, Milwaukee, WI
Shands Teaching Hospital, Gainsville, FL
Arthur Young, Milwaukee Center, Milwaukee, WI
Farm Plan Co., Madison, WI
Gallery East, Chatanooga TN
First Wisconsin Trust, Palm Beach, FL
WTMJ Radio & TV Stations, Milwaukee, WI
Northwestern Mutual Insurance Co., Waukesha, WI