Judy Ledgerwood

Award-winning artist Judy Ledgerwood is at the forefront of contemporary American abstraction. Her vibrant patterns may on first impressions seem geometric, but upon closer inspection reveal imperfections, or rather, the human hand. The shapes that emerge are not purely abstract—they are symbols, deeply rooted in nature and referencing the human experience.  

 

Ledgerwood’s works are wholly centered around human sensations – saturated colors reflect musical melodies while diamonds and quatrefoils echo female sexuality. The patterns she weaves aren’t consistent—they hover between order and chaos, inviting us to question the illusions of stability and routine that we so fetishize. Her painterly gestures pulsate musically throughout, with the artwork titles often even allude to the rhythmical and melodic nature of her creations.  

 

Ledgerwood works primarily with gouache on paper, allowing chance to play a role in the final artwork as the gouache spreads out across the sheets. Her ability to be at the forefront of the avant-garde whilst using wholly traditional materials and techniques is an impressive signature element to her oeuvre. 

 

Judy Ledgerwood’s pulsating compositions are both arresting and deeply meditative. Engaging with universally recognised sources of pleasure, such as sexuality, music and aesthetic harmony, the artist weaves a wholly relevant narrative with masterful elegance. 

 

Judy Ledgerwood is featured in notable public collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles and the Art Institute of Chicago. She has received numerous awards in her career to date, including the Tiffany Award in the Visual Arts, the Illinois Art Council Award, the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award. Judy Ledgerwood currently lives and works in Chicago.