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Parallel Manipulation

Painting of two views in brown tones: at left, the back of a woman's head, her intricately braided hair forming a V shape; at right, the torso of a woman wearing a pleated dress with a V-shape neckline.
© The estate of Christina Ramberg.

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  • Painting of two views in brown tones: at left, the back of a woman's head, her intricately braided hair forming a V shape; at right, the torso of a woman wearing a pleated dress with a V-shape neckline.

Date:

1977

Artist:

Christina Ramberg
American, 1946-1995

About this artwork

Christina Ramberg is known for enigmatic paintings of fragments of the female body—typically torsos, legs, and hands—tightly cropped and partially clothed, bound, or veiled. The formal clarity, stylized figuration, and references to Surrealism and popular culture in her works aligned her with the Chicago Imagists, who she exhibited with in the False Image exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center in the late 1960s. The artist’s pointedly feminist critique of the social conditions that physically shape and constrict the female body was furthered by her interest in costume history and her collection of medical illustrations, paper dolls, and fashion advertisements. Her focus on patterning and clever use of juxtaposition are expressed in Parallel Manipulation, in which a head of braided hair mimics the decorative designs of a woman’s garment.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

Christina Ramberg

Title

Parallel Manipulation

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1977

Medium

Acrylic on Masonite

Dimensions

Framed: 36.9 × 63.2 cm (14 1/2 × 24 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Robert A. Lewis Fund in memory of William and Polly Levey

Reference Number

1982.398

Copyright

© The estate of Christina Ramberg.

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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