PELTON & JONSON: THE TRANSCENDENT 1930s
University of New Mexico Art Museum
June 2023 - March 15, 2025
Pelton & Jonson: The Transcendent 1930s presents paintings, drawings, and archival materials from the UNM Art Museum collection to illustrate the aesthetic achievements and personal connections between American painters Agnes Pelton (1881-1961) and Raymond Jonson (1891-1982). Introduced by composer and astrologist Dane Rudhyar (1895-1985), Pelton and Jonson’s friendship flourished in the 1930s based on their commitment to abstraction. They remained close friends until Pelton’s death in 1961, evident through exchanges of letters where they admired and encouraged one another’s work and shared about their daily lives.
During the 1930s, Pelton and Jonson made significant paintings and exhibited their work widely, both together and separately. Pelton exhibited her work in New York, Philadelphia, Palm Springs, San Diego, and other U.S. cities. Jonson exhibited his work in New York City and Chicago, while staying active in the studio, teaching art classes, and organizing artist groups and exhibitions.
Following their introduction in 1933, Jonson organized an exhibition at the Museum of Art in Santa Fe (now the New Mexico Museum of Art), which included 14 oil paintings by Pelton, 12 charcoal drawings by Jonson, and 11 watercolors by Cady Wells (1904-1954). Many of these works are presented together again in Pelton & Jonson.
