Dorothea Rockburne

Dorothea Rockburne (born 1929) is a Canadian abstract painter, drawing inspiration primarily from her deep interest in mathematics and astronomy. Her work is geometric and abstract, seemingly simple but very precise to reflect the mathematical concepts she strives to concretize. "I wanted very much to see the equations I was studying, so I started making them in my studio," she has said. "I was visually solving equations." Her attraction to Mannerism has also influenced her work.

Career In 1950, Rockburne moved to the United States to attend Black Mountain College, where she studied with mathematician Max Dehn, a lifelong influence on her work. In addition to Dehn, she studied with Franz Kline, Philip Guston, John Cage, and Merce Cunningham. She also met fellow student Robert Rauschenberg. In 1955, Rockburne moved to New York City where she met many of the leading artists and poets of the time. She was influenced by the minimalist dances of Yvonne Rainer and the Judson Dance Theater.

Throughout her career, she created paintings that expressed mathematical concepts. In 1958, a solo show of her work was critically and financially successful but deemed "not good enough" by Rockburne herself. Rockburne participated in performances at the Judson Dance Theater and took classes at the American Ballet Theatre. The series later led to her experimentation with new concepts and materials, such as Gold Section and carbon paper.

Rockburne is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, National Academy of Design, and The Century Association. In 2016, Rockburne earned a doctorate degree at Bowdoin College. In 2009 Rockburne became an Honorary Vice President of the National Association of Women Artists, the first women's professional fine art organization founded in the United States. She is also a member of the American Abstract Artists.

Rockburne's work was included in the 2021 exhibition Women in Abstraction at the Centre Pompidou.

Works

Fire Engine Red. 1967. Wrinkle finish paint (oil) on aluminum. University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor. Scalar. 1971. Chipboard, crude oil, paper and nails. Museum of Modern Art, New York. Locus. 1972. Series of six relief etching and aquatints on folded paper. Museum of Modern Art, New York. Golden Section Painting #6. 1975. Kraft paper and blue pencil on linen. University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor. Cosmic Moment, 1997. Reflection hologram, 15 11/16 × 11 11/16 in. J. Paul Getty Museum. Triangle, 1978. Vellum paper, varnish, glue, color pencil, ragboard; 42 3/4 x 33 in. Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. F.P.I. 19, 1973. Pen on folded paper, 29 x 40 in. Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Robe Series, The Descent, 1976. Gesso, varnish, glue, and oil on linen, 55 1/2 × 36 in. Philadelphia Museum of Art.