Linda Cross
Relief Paintings 2012- 2019 
Relief Paintings
In these most recent works, I deliberately combine the physicality of sculptural forms with illusionistic realism and shifting viewpoints. Fabricated of paper and acrylic elements, these rocks and riverbeds are traces, or symbols of the earth’s slowly evolving process, and they create a visceral dialogue with the refuse of a material world. The relief paintings contrast an abstract wilderness with the pervasive intrusion of civilization. The riparian calm of rocky creek beds is broken by glutted heaps of rubble. Color, dimension and meaning are explored as the elements are assembled into interconnected layers of sections or strata. The observer becomes an excavator, discovering multiple readings in the collision of nature’s evolution and our ever-increasing encroachment.
-Linda Cross
Fragments
Although known for her large installations above, Cross frequently produces more intimately scaled pieces. These smaller relief works explore the concept of an environmental study sample with rocks and debris embedded in the earth's surface.
Installation: Riverline Series: Tivoli Bay, 2009
Linda Cross at the James W. Palmer Gallery, Vassar College and the Beacon Institute of Rivers and Estuaries
by Jonathan Goodman
Poised between categories, Linda Cross’s evocative paintings are not only paintings but relief sculptures as well.She shows us what the Hudson River is like at this moment in time. Unfortunately, according to her vision, the great river is choking on industrial debris, although the beauty inherent in the colors of its stones, banks, and water still comes through in these paintings. The pollution has psychological as well as material consequences: it may be true that efforts are being made to clean up the river, but this does not stop our feeling that perhaps we are too late to save it. Yet Cross makes it clear that while there is much to be done, there is much to celebrate as well. Her shows at Vassar College and Beacon demonstrated her ongoing connection with the Hudson Valley, a familiarity based on her long stay in the area, and were timed to pay homage to the quadricentennial discovery of the Hudson Valley.
Familiar with the coast of Maine, as well as the mesas of New Mexico, Cross has always been interested in nature. She doesn’t paint so much as build her pictures, using stand alone paper and acrylic—as she says, “Rocks, cans, tires, and such are all hand formed.” Her close attention to verisimilitude can fool the viewer, who at first might easily believe that the objects are real. That is part of the reliefs’ attraction; they seem to convey the reality of water stopped up with manmade detritus. In Shoreline (2009), at Vassar, the viewer sees a foaming blue-and-white sea on the left; in opposition are small rocks and larger patches of brown, most likely a presentation of the darker banks facing the shoreline. Cross is perfectly poised between painting and low relief in this work, whose surface is active with water and stones and shore. It is a good example of her decision to both follow and parody verisimilitude, in textures and imageries that finally leave nature to possess the beauty of an imagined riverscape. Rift (2008), a large relief painting in overlapping planes of paper, colored green and white and whitish pink, she shows remarkable subtlety. Here nature has occasioned unusual finesse.
But in Fresh Kills (2005), at Beacon, garbage is almost all we see. The work, thick with cans and rocks, operates on a sad principle of unstoppable decay. The work can hardly be called beautiful as the cans speak to the casual, ongoing contamination of the river. Yet Cross also finds ways to praise. Riverline Shallows (2009) consists of the kinds of greens and blues we associate with running water and the rocks don’t crowd or dominate the shallows. In Rift (2008), coppers and reddish-whites dominate the surface, which has cracks running from top to bottom; this close-up study of nature demonstrates Cross’s craft process and subtle feeling for color.
Given Cross’s ecological concerns, it might be expected that she would present a predominantly political reading of the river’s decline; however, she has chosen a more complex view, closer to the actual state of the Hudson River, whose beauty continues to resist contamination.
Works on Paper
Paintings
Natural History installation
Once in a while I find works of art that defy my expectations of what art can be, even as the work follows a centuries-long trajectory. I am referring, of course, to painting. Even as the digital revolution has become increasingly relevant among painters, many of whom have chosen to work between the computer and the canvas, the historical presence of painting continues to persist. Werner Herzog’s recent film on early Paleolithic cave art from nearly 40,000 years ago asserts the need felt by these impassioned painters to inscribe images of animals on the surface of rock. It was their world, and it was what they knew, and their evocation of it in the course of painting these animals would transmit an aesthetic statement thousands of millennia later. This suggests that painting began essentially as a tactile sensation as much as a visual one.
Upon seeing “Natural History” (2011), a wall-size painting by Linda Cross at the Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, New York, I became further convinced of this phenomenon. Cross began constructing and painting three-dimensional images of riverbeds in the late 1980s, replicating the look of detritus as well as the indigenous moss and rocks. Over the years, these riverbed segments have developed through numerous variations, some of them included in the current exhibition in Hudson.
Several months ago, after studying the monumental rock formations embedded in the landscape around her home, she decided to shift her angle of vision from the ground to an upright perspective. Her initial studies of these walls of stone suggest a parallel relationship between the rock faults naturally found on site and those that appear to have been constructed long ago. Taking the concept of these modulations between nature and culture into her studio, Cross began working with chunks of synthetic Styrofoam insulation, carving them in a way that simulated rocks, bricks, and stones. Finally, she decided to build “Natural History” in six parts and to give the scale of her rock wall a one-to-one appearance.
There were numerous technical problems along the way, as her pâpier-maché replicas, the weight of the paint, and occasional detritus, including old tin cans mixed in with the simulated ones, needed structural support. One may recall from the film document by Bruce Conner of the famous “Rose” painting by the San Francisco painter Jay DeFeo, that similar problems were encountered when DeFeo moved the painting from her studio in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Also, Cross wanted a site-specific reference to the facing wall of the Haddad Gallery, so that viewers upon entering the space would be immediately confronted by it. The results are phenomenal, striking, and paradoxical—a remarkable tour de force that expands and extends the history of painting in relation to the history of the earth itself.
Robert C. Morgan for the Brooklyn Rail
*This installation is currently exhibited at Traveler's Towers, Southfield MI, Time Equities Art in Buildings Program
Resume
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2014 “Sections,” Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
2012 “The Shape of the Earth,” Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY
2011 “Natural History,” Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
2009 “The River,” James W. Palmer Gallery, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
“Reflections on the River,” Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, Beacon, NY
2005 John Davis Gallery, New York, NY
2002 Lemmerman Gallery, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ
2000, 2001 Davis and Hall Gallery, Hudson, NY
1998 “The River,” Hudson Opera House, Hudson, NY
“Shaping the Land,” Albany Center Galleries, Albany, NY
1997 “Land Marks,” A Gathering of the Tribes Gallery, New York, NY
1996 Spencertown Academy for the Arts, Spencertown, NY
1993 Art Museum, State University of Plattsburg, NY
“Retrospective, Work on Paper,” Five Points Gallery, East Chatham, NY
1992 Five Points Gallery, East Chatham, NY
1988 Five Points Gallery, East Chatham, NY
1985 Durham-Ziff Gallery, New York, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 "Double Cross," Kaaterskill Gallery, with John Cross, Hunter, NY
2018 “Outside the Lines,” The National Arts Club, New York, NY
2017 “Gathering Ground,” Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
“To See is to Have, The McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
2015 “Dancing with Dystopia,” Allan Stone Projects, New York, NY
2012 “Invitational Exhibition,” American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY
2011 “Hudson River Contemporary: Works on Paper,” Boscobel, Garrison, NY
2010 “Accumulation,” Allan Stone Gallery, New York, NY
2009 “Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood,” Stockbridge, MA
“Illusions,” Schick Gallery, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
2008 “PAPER,” Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
2007 “First Bloom: Dialogues in Exuberance,” Victoria Price Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2006 “Elements,” Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
2005 “50+” The Holland Tunnel, Brooklyn, NY
2004,05 “Obsession,” Haddad Lascano Gallery, Great Barrington, MA
2004 “Art and Environmentalism,” The Coffey Gallery, Kingston, NY
“Gallery Artists,” John Davis Gallery, New York, NY
2003 “Sticks and Stones 2,” Collaborative Concepts, Beacon, NY
“Monotypes,” Spencertown Academy, Spencertown, NY
2002 “Linda Cross, Thomas Sarrantonio,” Watermark/Cargo Gallery, Kingston, NY
2001 “Fishing,” Time & Space Limited, Hudson, NY
2000 Columbia County Council on the Arts, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
1999 “Pondside Press Retrospective,” Lorraine Kessler Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY
“Off the Wall,” Stamford Center for the Arts, Stamford, NY
“Location: A Survey of Hudson Valley Artists,” Kendall Gallery, Hudson, NY
Annual Invitational, Atlantic Gallery, New York, NY
"Second Nature,” Columbia Community Gallery, Hudson, NY
“Gift for India,” The Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust, Bombay, India
1996-97 "Messages from the Interior,” Rathbone Gallery, Sage Jr. College, Albany, NY
(travel for 2 years)
1996 "River Soundings" The Maritime Museum, Philadelphia, PA
"terra incognita,” RCCA: The Arts Center, Troy, NY
"Artists for the Environment," Gallery at Park West, Kingston, NY
“Ways of Seeing,” Coffin Creek, Mudgee, N.S.W. Australia
1995 "Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood," Collaboration with J. Cross, Stockbridge, MA
"Forms from Nature,” The Gallery at Park West, Kingston, NY
"The Mohawk-Hudson Regional Exhibition," Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, NY
"Drawings," Image Gallery, Stockbridge, MA
1994 "Landworks,” Vermont Council on the Arts, Woodstock, VT
"Hudson Valley Sampler,” The Gallery at Park West, Kingston, NY
"Geological Visions: Art of the Landscape" Schick Gallery, Skidmore College,
Saratoga Springs, NY
1993 "Fieldwork,” site-specific installation, Art Omi International Arts Center, Omi, NY
"Riverworks,” site-specific installation, Hoosic River Watershed Association, Williamstown, MA
"Contemporary Monotypes," Associated American Artists, New York, NY
1992 "Abstraction in the 90s," Sound Shore Gallery, Stamford, CT
"The Hudson Art Project," site-specific installation, Hudson, NY
"Contemporary Sculpture at Chesterwood," Stockbridge, MA
1991 "Physicality, Color Dimensionality in Painting," Hunter College, New York, NY
"Art for the Land," Five Points Gallery, East Chatham, NY
1990 Allan Stone Gallery, New York, NY
"Dimensions Between 2 and 3," Five Points Gallery, E. Chatham, NY
1989 "Color Moves," Sound Shore Gallery, Stamford, CT
1988 "Common Objects," Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY
Triangle Artists Workshop, Pine Plains, NY
Five Points Gallery, East Chatham, NY
1985 Durham-Ziff Gallery, New York, NY
1977 Webb & Parsons Gallery, New Bedford, NY
1969 Annual Exhibition, Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY
The American Academy of Arts & Letters, New York, NY
1968 East Side Gallery, New York, NY
“PAPER ‘ 68,” John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, WI
The National Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, NY
1967 Annual Exhibition, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1966 “Art on Paper,” University of North Carolina, Greensboro, NC
Annual Fine Arts Festival, The Parrish Art Museum, South Hampton, NY
Annual Exhibition, Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY
Midyear Exhibition, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH
Annual Exhibition, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
The National Institute of Arts and Letters, New York, NY
1965 East Side Gallery, New York, NY
“Ultimate Concerns,” Ohio University, Athens, OH
Midyear Exhibition, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH
1964 Annual Exhibition, National Academy of Design, New York, NY
“Second Annual Touring Exhibition”, Botts Memorial Hall, Albuquerque,NM, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, M, L’Ateliar, Cedar Falls, IO, Flea Market West, San Diego, CA
1963 “Award Winners Selection Show,” East Side Gallery, New York, NY
1962 Annual Exhibition, National Academy of Design, New York, NY
Annual Exhibition, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago IL
1961 Madison Gallery Quarterly Exhibit, Madison Gallery, New York, NY
Corrales Invitational Exhibition, Corrales, NM
Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM
1960 Invitational Exhibition, Roswell Museum of Art, Roswell, NM
Art Rental and Sales Gallery, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
1959 Fifth Annual Festival of the Arts, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2015 Kedmey, Karen, Allan Stone Projects, ARTSY EDITORIAL
2014 Morgan, Robert C., Brochure essay, Carrie Haddad Gallery, Hudson, NY
2011 Morgan, Robert C., “Linda Cross: Excavation Painting,” The Brooklyn Rail
Simpson, Nicole, “The Possibilities of Paper Pulp,” blog.art21/ink, July 8
2010 Morgan, Robert C., “Readymades Remade: Detritus as Art,” The Brooklyn Rail
Goodman, Jonathan, “Linda Cross at Vassar and Beacon,” artcritical.com, New York, NY
McCormack, Ed, “Accumulation at Allan Stone Gallery,” Gallery & Studio, New York, NY
Weintraub, Linda, “Nature/Nurture,” Hudson River Museum & Gallery Guide, Fall
2009 Phagan, Patricia, catalog essay, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Stewart, Linda, catalog essay, Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, Beacon, NY
2008 Price, Victoria, Catalogue introduction, Olana Group, San Antonio, TX
2006 Clark, Agi, “Linda and John Cross, in their own terrain,” Hudson River Art, vol. 5. p. 8
2005 Morgan, Robert C., “50+,” catalogue essay, The Holland Tunnel, Brooklyn, NY
2005 Nahas, Dominique, “Selected Paper Art Exhibitions in New York City,” Hand Papermaking, Summer 2005, p. 30
2004 “Art and Environmentalism,” Catalogue Introduction by Tom Nelson, Coffey Gallery, Kingston, NY
2003 Lombardi, Dominick, “Sticks and Stones 2,” The New York Times, Aug. 24
2002 Cahill, Timothy, “Unnatural Landscapes,” Albany Times Union, May 19
2002 Morgan, Robert C., “Linda Cross, Davis & Hall,” Sculpture Magazine, April
2000 Jaeger, William, “Art on the Hudson,” Albany Times Union, Dec. 10
1998 Morgan, Robert C., “Linda Cross, Shifting Terrains,” catalogue essay,
The Albany Center Galleries, Albany, NY
Wilkinson, Jeanne C., “Land Marks,” COVER, vol. 12, #3, New York, NY
1997 Morgan, Robert C., “Linda Cross, Land Marks,” NY Arts Magazine, issue 16, New York, NY
1995 Jaeger, William, "Six Artists Light Out for Interior Territory," The Times Union, Albany, NY,
Temin, Christine, "Nature Gets into the Act," The Boston Globe, Boston, MA, Aug.9
Wright, Peg Churchill, "Chesterwood Sculptures Work Harmoniously with Surroundings,"
The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, NY, July 27
1994 Abramson, Mark, "Visioning and Revisioning the Valley,” Woodstock Times, Woodstock, NY, Aug. 4
1992 Peseckis, Frank, "The Resolution of Complexity: The Drawings of Linda Cross,”
Catalogue essay, Five Points Gallery, East Chatham, NY
Wright, Peg Churchill, "Chesterwood Stirs Imagination," The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, NY, Sept. 3, p. A8
Temin, Christine, "Chesterwood Gives Sculpture Room to Soar," The Boston Sunday Globe, Boston, MA, Aug. 23, p. 81
1990 Lail, Thomas, "Show Mixes Math and Metaphor," The Times Union, Albany, NY, Nov.8, p. 10
1988 Moffett, Kenworth, "Triangle Workshop," Moffett's Artletter, Stamford, CT, Sept.-Oct., p.130
1965 “Linda Cross, East Side Gallery,” Art News, New York, NY April
1963 “Linda Norford Cross, East Side Gallery,” Art News, New York, NY October
AWARDS
2012 Strategic Opportunity Stipend, NYFA and NY State Council on the Arts
2007,08 New York Foundation for the Arts, The Artist Fund
2000 First Prize, Work on Paper, Columbia County Council on the Arts Juried Show
1993 Strategic Opportunity Stipend, NY Foundation for the Arts & Renessalaer County Council for the Arts
1988 Residency, Triangle Artists’ Workshop, Pine Plains, NY
1966 Purchase Prize for Painting, 31st Midyear Show, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH
1964 George Grosz Memorial Scholarship, Art Students League, NY
1963 Award for Painting, Allied Arts Guild Selection Show, East Side Gallery, NY
1959 Graduate Fellowship, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
1959 First Prize for Painting, 5th Annual Festival of the Arts, University of Chicago
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Ann and Richard Artschwager, Stotville, NY
The AYCO Company, Saratoga Springs, NY
Darla Barger, San Antonio, TX
The Lawrence Benenson Collection, New York, NY
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH
California State University, Long Beach, CA
Constantine and Partners, New York, NY
Lisa Fox Martin, Catskill, NY
The Francis J. Greenburger Collection, New York, NY
Anna Jane Hays, Santa Fe, NM
Hope College, Kruizenga Art Museum, Holland, MI
Hudson Area Library, Hudson, NY
Kingsboro Community College, Brooklyn, NY
Allison Hays Lane, San Antonio, TX
Purcell Palmer, Catskill, NY
Pepsico, Inc., Purchase, NY
Pondside Press, Rhinebeck, NY
Ethel Runion, San Antonio, TX
Salud–Arte, Art of Healing, University Health System, San Antonio, TX
The Allan Stone Collection, Purchase, NY
Paul Taylor Dance Archives, New York, NY
Time Equities Art in Buildings Program, Southfield, MI
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Iliana von Meeteren, Rhinebeck, NY
Western Electric Company, New York, NY
EDUCATION
1962-65 Art Students League of New York
1959-61 The University of New Mexico, M.F.A.
1957-58 Syracuse University, B.F.A.
1954-57 The School of The Art Institute of Chicago
