September 14, 2006 – November 22, 2007
Julia Thecla, Strange Planet, 1961. Tempera on board. Collection of Depaul University, Gift of Helen T. Findlay, 5197
Julia Thecla, Parachute Drop, June, 1961. Tempera and collage on pressed board. Collection of DePaul University, gift of Helen T. Findlay, 5201
Julia Thecla, Fused Forms, 1955. Charcoal, graphite, prismacolor, gouache. Collection of DePaul University, gift of Helen T Findlay, 5070
Julia Thecla, In The Clouds, 1960. Oil on Canvas. Collection of DePaul University, gift of Helen T. Findlay, 5212
Installation view at the DePaul University Art Gallery
Installation view at the DePaul University Art Gallery
Widely known in Chicago during the 1940s and 50s, Julia Thecla is now largely forgotten, but her ethereal and sensuous portrayal of dreams, fairy tales, and planetary realms were extraordinary explorations of alternative social orders. This exhibition of her work examined her struggle for recognition as a female artist, and revealed the tensions of the art world at mid-century, encompassing representation as well as abstraction, fascinated by psychoanalysis and the unconscious.
The exhibition and accompanying programs were supported in part by a grant from The Terra Foundation for American Art.
To purchase the catalogue please email artmuseum@depaul.edu