Totem
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Figures+%28Representations%29">Figures (Representations)</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Nudes+%28Representations%29">Nudes (Representations)</a>
This pencil and watercolor work is composed of five identically sized drawings spaced equally apart (and matted). The shape of each drawing is that of a thin vertical rectangle. Each drawing contains the figure of a hawk-like bird in the the top third of the image, a female figure in the middle third, and a smaller figure in the bottom third. Additionally the figure of a bearded, balding man appears in the very bottom of the center drawing and the two drawings to the right. This male figure is partially visible in the center drawing, and progressively more visible as one moves to the right so that he is completely visible in the furthest rectangle on the right. The figure of the hawk is slightly varied in pose but appears in each drawing to be about to land on the female figure below it, its talons outstretched. The female figure is partially nude in each drawing, breasts either partially or completely uncovered, and lower body enveloped by some sort of cloth-like covering. The face of this female figure is somewhat stylized in the drawing at the far left and morphs slightly in form and look as one moves to the right, with a clearly female face in the drawing on the furthest right. The small figure at the bottom of each drawing is child-like in form, dressed, and of a similar pose. In the far left drawing this figure appears to wear a headdress and has stylized, mask-like, androgynous face. However, the headdress and face of the figure morph as one's eye moves to the right, so that the in the final drawing on the right the figure has no headdress and a less stylized, female face. Hints of red, blue, and red watercolor washes are used, especially in the bird and in the cloth surrounding the lower torso of the large female figure.
Gemma Rossini Cullen (1937-2004) was born in Saint Paul, MN. She received a B.A. from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1960 and an B.F.A. from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1969. She became a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet in 1955 and exited in 1967. She married Walter Cullen in 1969. The couple had two children, Enrique and Tonya, and remained married until her death in 2004. Gemma's work includes large-format paintings and drawings. It routinely depicts women, nature, architectural elements, and abstract forms, at times with an emphasis on repetitive morphing or mutating imagery, and an incorporation of negative space. Like many women were emerging from the Catholic religious community in the 1960s, Gemma was questioning the ways in which the church had marginalized the role of women within its community in the past and, as an ex-sister, exploring new versions of what it meant to be a woman in the present and going forward. In Gemma's case, this meant exploring creating art for women. Gemma was influenced in her exploration by the writings of Carl Jung and his exploration of global cultural histories and archetypal realities. The archetype [and transformation thereof] Gemma was most interested in was that of the Goddess, and she explored this subject in many of her works. As she continued to evolve as an artist, her interest in metamorphosis grew, and she would eventually create a number of successful drawings depicting this concept. In 1992 Rossini Cullen founded her own company, Business Graphics Network. She worked there until 2004 in graphic design, sales, and production. She was a founding member of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Gallery from 1976 to 1987. Rossini Cullen's domestic exhibitions included venues at the College of St. Catherine, North Hennepin Community College, and Minneapolis Community College, the WARM Gallery in Minneapolis, and the McCrae Gallery at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. Her work is part of collections throughout the United States including Gila Regional Medical Center, Silver City, University of Minnesota Law School, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis, Dorcy Marquart Law Firm, Minneapolis, and Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc., Saint Paul. Gemma also produced a major suite of drawings for two books, Coulee Deep, poems by Lois Sindelar, Extended Exposure Press, 203, and Twin Cities Perceived, text by Jean Adams Ervin a study of words and drawings, published by University Minnesota Press, 1976. 1,2(Erickson, Elizabeth. (2009). Gemma: Tales of Change. Saint Paul, MN: St. Catherine University.)
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rossini+Cullen%2C+Gemma">Rossini Cullen, Gemma</a>
Gift of Rossini Cullen Family Estate
1999
<a href="http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/586">http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/586</a>
pen and ink with watercolor
18 x 22 inches
paper
drawing
drawing
2012.3.4
(abstract painting)
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Abstract+art">Abstract art</a>
An abstract work consisting of short horizontal hatch-like marks of ink on paper in tones of brown, laid out almost as if depicting a piece of cloth against a dark brown background, with fringed areas at top and bottom. The cloth, which takes up a majority of the canvas, is ragged in certain areas and is at times entirely absent, the dark brown background showing through. The cloth is divided into five vertically oriented sections. A reddish orange watercolor wash has been added to portions farthest to the leftmost section.
Gemma Rossini Cullen (1937-2004) was born in Saint Paul, MN. She received a B.A. from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1960 and an B.F.A. from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1969. She became a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet in 1955 and exited in 1967. She married Walter Cullen in 1969. The couple had two children, Enrique and Tonya, and remained married until her death in 2004. Gemma's work includes large-format paintings and drawings. It routinely depicts women, nature, architectural elements, and abstract forms, at times with an emphasis on repetitive morphing or mutating imagery, and an incorporation of negative space. Like many women were emerging from the Catholic religious community in the 1960s, Gemma was questioning the ways in which the church had marginalized the role of women within its community in the past and, as an ex-sister, exploring new versions of what it meant to be a woman in the present and going forward. In Gemma's case, this meant exploring creating art for women. Gemma was influenced in her exploration by the writings of Carl Jung and his exploration of global cultural histories and archetypal realities. The archetype [and transformation thereof] Gemma was most interested in was that of the Goddess, and she explored this subject in many of her works. As she continued to evolve as an artist, her interest in metamorphosis grew, and she would eventually create a number of successful drawings depicting this concept. In 1992 Rossini Cullen founded her own company, Business Graphics Network. She worked there until 2004 in graphic design, sales, and production. She was a founding member of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Gallery from 1976 to 1987. Rossini Cullen's domestic exhibitions included venues at the College of St. Catherine, North Hennepin Community College, and Minneapolis Community College, the WARM Gallery in Minneapolis, and the McCrae Gallery at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. Her work is part of collections throughout the United States including Gila Regional Medical Center, Silver City, University of Minnesota Law School, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis, Dorcy Marquart Law Firm, Minneapolis, and Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc., Saint Paul. Gemma also produced a major suite of drawings for two books, Coulee Deep, poems by Lois Sindelar, Extended Exposure Press, 203, and Twin Cities Perceived, text by Jean Adams Ervin a study of words and drawings, published by University Minnesota Press, 1976. 1,2(Erickson, Elizabeth. (2009). Gemma: Tales of Change. Saint Paul, MN: St. Catherine University.)
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rossini+Cullen%2C+Gemma">Rossini Cullen, Gemma</a>
Gift of Rossini Cullen Family Estate
circa 1985
<a href="http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/585">http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/585</a>
pen and ink with watercolor
34 x 38 inches
canvas
drawing
painting
2012.3.1
West Side-St. Paul
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Cityscapes+%28Representations%29">Cityscapes (Representations)</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Buildings">Buildings</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Industrial+buildings">Industrial buildings</a>
This circular pencil drawing contains several interconnected drawings of buildings and or/structures, along with some trees and the suggestion of grass. The building at topmost left is partially cut off but appears to be a residential home with three stories and a wraparound porch. The structures at mid and the upper right up the circle include a series of boxy connected buildings and a campanile like form. A grassy like area present in most of the upper third of the drawing connects the home and the campanile and its surrounding buildings. At lower left there appears a multi-level, stair-like structure extending from a grassy bluff. The grassy bluff-like area continues to the right across the image, punctuated by trees, and separates the upper part of the composition from the lower. The buildings depicted in the lower portion of the circle are a series of connected structures. All are vertical in orientation, the facades differ. The furthest left building has a crenellated roofline and small vertical windows piercing its face. The building to its right has a sloping front covered with a tiled surface. The center structure is horizontally divided into two parts. The lower part is in white with two doors, one on the right and one on the left. The upper part is in gray tone with centralized double window. The building to its right is tall and narrow and has a pole-like form projecting from its roof. The building furthest to the right has a roof with a sloping front and a small gable at its center front. Areas of white negative space can be seen in the upper left and extreme upper right of the drawing.
Gemma Rossini Cullen (1937-2004) was born in Saint Paul, MN. She received a B.A. from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1960 and an B.F.A. from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1969. She became a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet in 1955 and exited in 1967. She married Walter Cullen in 1969. The couple had two children, Enrique and Tonya, and remained married until her death in 2004. Gemma's work includes large-format paintings and drawings. It routinely depicts women, nature, architectural elements, and abstract forms, at times with an emphasis on repetitive morphing or mutating imagery, and an incorporation of negative space. Like many women were emerging from the Catholic religious community in the 1960s, Gemma was questioning the ways in which the church had marginalized the role of women within its community in the past and, as an ex-sister, exploring new versions of what it meant to be a woman in the present and going forward. In Gemma's case, this meant exploring creating art for women. Gemma was influenced in her exploration by the writings of Carl Jung and his exploration of global cultural histories and archetypal realities. The archetype [and transformation thereof] Gemma was most interested in was that of the Goddess, and she explored this subject in many of her works. As she continued to evolve as an artist, her interest in metamorphosis grew, and she would eventually create a number of successful drawings depicting this concept. In 1992 Rossini Cullen founded her own company, Business Graphics Network. She worked there until 2004 in graphic design, sales, and production. She was a founding member of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Gallery from 1976 to 1987. Rossini Cullen's domestic exhibitions included venues at the College of St. Catherine, North Hennepin Community College, and Minneapolis Community College, the WARM Gallery in Minneapolis, and the McCrae Gallery at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. Her work is part of collections throughout the United States including Gila Regional Medical Center, Silver City, University of Minnesota Law School, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis, Dorcy Marquart Law Firm, Minneapolis, and Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc., Saint Paul. Gemma also produced a major suite of drawings for two books, Coulee Deep, poems by Lois Sindelar, Extended Exposure Press, 203, and Twin Cities Perceived, text by Jean Adams Ervin a study of words and drawings, published by University Minnesota Press, 1976. 1,2(Erickson, Elizabeth. (2009). Gemma: Tales of Change. Saint Paul, MN: St. Catherine University.)
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rossini+Cullen%2C+Gemma">Rossini Cullen, Gemma</a>
Gift of Rossini Cullen Family Estate
circa 1975
<a href="http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/584">http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/584</a>
pencil
18 x 18 inches
paper
drawing
drawing
2012.3.6
Speak Peace
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Bodies+%28Animal+components%29">Bodies (Animal components)</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Animal+art">Animal art</a>
This circular image is composed of human and bird figures in overlapping layers. In the foreground, a human face looks past the viewer into the distance. The human has a bare head and a serene look on its face. Its hands are raised in front of its face and it holds in between its fingers a small frame or window. In this frame is a small bird mid-flight with outstretched wings. The bird is placed in front of the human's mouth. In the background is another, more ethereal, faint image of a human face. Again, in front of the human's mouth are bird-like figures. The background contains other ethereal and abstract figures. The image is composed of pen marks of varying thickness, length and direction. The interplay of lightness and darkness is balanced throughout the composition.
Gemma Rossini Cullen (1937-2004) was born in Saint Paul, MN. She received a B.A. from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1960 and an B.F.A. from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1969. She became a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet in 1955 and exited in 1967. She married Walter Cullen in 1969. The couple had two children, Enrique and Tonya, and remained married until her death in 2004. Gemma's work includes large-format paintings and drawings. It routinely depicts women, nature, architectural elements, and abstract forms, at times with an emphasis on repetitive morphing or mutating imagery, and an incorporation of negative space. Like many women were emerging from the Catholic religious community in the 1960s, Gemma was questioning the ways in which the church had marginalized the role of women within its community in the past and, as an ex-sister, exploring new versions of what it meant to be a woman in the present and going forward. In Gemma's case, this meant exploring creating art for women. Gemma was influenced in her exploration by the writings of Carl Jung and his exploration of global cultural histories and archetypal realities. The archetype [and transformation thereof] Gemma was most interested in was that of the Goddess, and she explored this subject in many of her works. As she continued to evolve as an artist, her interest in metamorphosis grew, and she would eventually create a number of successful drawings depicting this concept. In 1992 Rossini Cullen founded her own company, Business Graphics Network. She worked there until 2004 in graphic design, sales, and production. She was a founding member of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Gallery from 1976 to 1987. Rossini Cullen's domestic exhibitions included venues at the College of St. Catherine, North Hennepin Community College, and Minneapolis Community College, the WARM Gallery in Minneapolis, and the McCrae Gallery at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. Her work is part of collections throughout the United States including Gila Regional Medical Center, Silver City, University of Minnesota Law School, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis, Dorcy Marquart Law Firm, Minneapolis, and Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc., Saint Paul. Gemma also produced a major suite of drawings for two books, Coulee Deep, poems by Lois Sindelar, Extended Exposure Press, 203, and Twin Cities Perceived, text by Jean Adams Ervin a study of words and drawings, published by University Minnesota Press, 1976. 1,2(Erickson, Elizabeth. (2009). Gemma: Tales of Change. Saint Paul, MN: St. Catherine University.)
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rossini+Cullen%2C+Gemma">Rossini Cullen, Gemma</a>
Gift of Rossini Cullen Family Estate
1979
<a href="http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/583">http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/583</a>
pen and ink
19 x 19 inches
paper
drawing
2012.3.8
Study Of A Woman
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Portraits">Portraits</a>
This pen and ink drawing is of a woman's face and neck, from an almost three-quarter point of view. Her eyes are open and look off to the viewer's right; her left eye seems exaggeratedly higher than the other, perhaps for affect. Her mouth is open and teeth visible, almost as if in the act of talking. Her hair is barely suggested. The drawing is done with a series of hatching and crosshatching, with areas of negative white space included within to suggest highlights.
Gemma Rossini Cullen (1937-2004) was born in Saint Paul, MN. She received a B.A. from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1960 and an B.F.A. from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1969. She became a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet in 1955 and exited in 1967. She married Walter Cullen in 1969. The couple had two children, Enrique and Tonya, and remained married until her death in 2004. Gemma's work includes large-format paintings and drawings. It routinely depicts women, nature, architectural elements, and abstract forms, at times with an emphasis on repetitive morphing or mutating imagery, and an incorporation of negative space. Like many women were emerging from the Catholic religious community in the 1960s, Gemma was questioning the ways in which the church had marginalized the role of women within its community in the past and, as an ex-sister, exploring new versions of what it meant to be a woman in the present and going forward. In Gemma's case, this meant exploring creating art for women. Gemma was influenced in her exploration by the writings of Carl Jung and his exploration of global cultural histories and archetypal realities. The archetype [and transformation thereof] Gemma was most interested in was that of the Goddess, and she explored this subject in many of her works. As she continued to evolve as an artist, her interest in metamorphosis grew, and she would eventually create a number of successful drawings depicting this concept. In 1992 Rossini Cullen founded her own company, Business Graphics Network. She worked there until 2004 in graphic design, sales, and production. She was a founding member of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Gallery from 1976 to 1987. Rossini Cullen's domestic exhibitions included venues at the College of St. Catherine, North Hennepin Community College, and Minneapolis Community College, the WARM Gallery in Minneapolis, and the McCrae Gallery at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. Her work is part of collections throughout the United States including Gila Regional Medical Center, Silver City, University of Minnesota Law School, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis, Dorcy Marquart Law Firm, Minneapolis, and Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc., Saint Paul. Gemma also produced a major suite of drawings for two books, Coulee Deep, poems by Lois Sindelar, Extended Exposure Press, 203, and Twin Cities Perceived, text by Jean Adams Ervin a study of words and drawings, published by University Minnesota Press, 1976. 1,2(Erickson, Elizabeth. (2009). Gemma: Tales of Change. Saint Paul, MN: St. Catherine University.)
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rossini+Cullen%2C+Gemma">Rossini Cullen, Gemma</a>
Gift of Rossini Cullen Family Estate
1970
<a href="http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/582">http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/582</a>
pen and ink
8-1/2 x 11 inches
paper
drawing
drawing
2012.3.7
(drawing of Statue of Liberty and other female figures)
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Nudes+%28Representations%29">Nudes (Representations)</a>
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Figures+%28Representations%29">Figures (Representations)</a>
A pencil drawing consisting of a series of figures set against a mix of large curvilinear and geometric shapes, some solid, some striped, and areas of negative space formed by the white of the paper. The figure at the farthest left is that of a woman in long dark flowing pants and sleeveless and collarless, dark blouse, standing on a portion of a sailboat. To her lower right is a young girl with tousled hair, wearing a blouse which reveals her breasts. The rest of her form appears to also be nude but is partially obscured. The figure of the woman and that of the girl are repeated at the center left of the work, but are there are differences. The shading of the depiction of the woman is done with more contrast. The young girl's nude body is almost entirely visible. The next figure to the right looks to be another repeat of the young girl except that her head is bent forward, supplanted by a composite overlay of two other heads, both of which are bald and somewhat androgynous. A small cupid like figure stands in front of this three-headed figure, obscuring its foot, and holding some sort of floral element. To the right of the three-headed figure is a large parrot. In front and to the right of the parrot are two separate renderings of the Statue of Liberty. The left of these two figures seems less finished, while the one on the right has darker areas of shading obscuring part of its face. The figures all enjoy some level of distortion and overlapping which helps to create a dynamic and enigmatic composition.
Gemma Rossini Cullen (1937-2004) was born in Saint Paul, MN. She received a B.A. from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1960 and an B.F.A. from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1969. She became a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet in 1955 and exited in 1967. She married Walter Cullen in 1969. The couple had two children, Enrique and Tonya, and remained married until her death in 2004. Gemma's work includes large-format paintings and drawings. It routinely depicts women, nature, architectural elements, and abstract forms, at times with an emphasis on repetitive morphing or mutating imagery, and an incorporation of negative space. Like many women were emerging from the Catholic religious community in the 1960s, Gemma was questioning the ways in which the church had marginalized the role of women within its community in the past and, as an ex-sister, exploring new versions of what it meant to be a woman in the present and going forward. In Gemma's case, this meant exploring creating art for women. Gemma was influenced in her exploration by the writings of Carl Jung and his exploration of global cultural histories and archetypal realities. The archetype [and transformation thereof] Gemma was most interested in was that of the Goddess, and she explored this subject in many of her works. As she continued to evolve as an artist, her interest in metamorphosis grew, and she would eventually create a number of successful drawings depicting this concept. In 1992 Rossini Cullen founded her own company, Business Graphics Network. She worked there until 2004 in graphic design, sales, and production. She was a founding member of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Gallery from 1976 to 1987. Rossini Cullen's domestic exhibitions included venues at the College of St. Catherine, North Hennepin Community College, and Minneapolis Community College, the WARM Gallery in Minneapolis, and the McCrae Gallery at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. Her work is part of collections throughout the United States including Gila Regional Medical Center, Silver City, University of Minnesota Law School, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis, Dorcy Marquart Law Firm, Minneapolis, and Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc., Saint Paul. Gemma also produced a major suite of drawings for two books, Coulee Deep, poems by Lois Sindelar, Extended Exposure Press, 203, and Twin Cities Perceived, text by Jean Adams Ervin a study of words and drawings, published by University Minnesota Press, 1976. 1,2(Erickson, Elizabeth. (2009). Gemma: Tales of Change. Saint Paul, MN: St. Catherine University.)
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rossini+Cullen%2C+Gemma">Rossini Cullen, Gemma</a>
Gift of Rossini Cullen Family Estate
1993
<a href="http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/581">http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/581</a>
pen and ink
21 x 27 inches
paper
drawing
drawing
2012.3.3
Long Thought
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=49&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Figures+%28Representations%29">Figures (Representations)</a>
This pencil drawing is arranged over nine identically sized rectangular, vertically oriented spaces, three up and three across, spaced equally apart (and matted). Drawings are visible in the all of the spaces except for the center top and right center rows. The drawings are done with fine lines and hatching, and incorporate both human features and natural elements including tree branches, grass and leaves. Each drawing incorporates large areas of white negative space, which along with the blank rectangles, help to unite the work visually. Starting in the upper left rectangle is a image of a face with the eyes squeezed shut, lips closed and strong lines on either side of the nose to the corners of the mouth; the next rectangle is blank and the far right rectangle is another image of a face with eyes open and looking at the viewer, lips closed, and lines on either side of the nose to the corners of the mouth. In the rectangle on the left side of the center row of rectangles, there is a face with a toothy grin, laughing eyes, and organic, grass-like hair rising away from her face. In the center rectangle we see a face with eyes open and mouth closed, and branch like material emerging from on and above the forehead. The rightmost rectangle of the row is blank. On the bottom row, the rectangle at the left contains a recumbent face emerging and surrounded by a backdrop of organic, grass-like material. The position allows for the viewer to see the bottom of the chin and the underside of the nose; the eyes are shut. The center rectangle contains two different camouflaged faces. The one on the left is also supine in orientation, and the one on the right is barely discernible among the organic foliage, evident mostly through a pair of full lips seen near the bottom of the drawing. The final rightmost rectangle of the row contains a supine face emerging from moss-like material in which the eyes are closed, the underside of the nose is visible, and the full mouth is closed.
Gemma Rossini Cullen (1937-2004) was born in Saint Paul, MN. She received a B.A. from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1960 and an B.F.A. from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1969. She became a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet in 1955 and exited in 1967. She married Walter Cullen in 1969. The couple had two children, Enrique and Tonya, and remained married until her death in 2004. Gemma's work includes large-format paintings and drawings. It routinely depicts women, nature, architectural elements, and abstract forms, at times with an emphasis on repetitive morphing or mutating imagery, and an incorporation of negative space. Like many women were emerging from the Catholic religious community in the 1960s, Gemma was questioning the ways in which the church had marginalized the role of women within its community in the past and, as an ex-sister, exploring new versions of what it meant to be a woman in the present and going forward. In Gemma's case, this meant exploring creating art for women. Gemma was influenced in her exploration by the writings of Carl Jung and his exploration of global cultural histories and archetypal realities. The archetype [and transformation thereof] Gemma was most interested in was that of the Goddess, and she explored this subject in many of her works. As she continued to evolve as an artist, her interest in metamorphosis grew, and she would eventually create a number of successful drawings depicting this concept. In 1992 Rossini Cullen founded her own company, Business Graphics Network. She worked there until 2004 in graphic design, sales, and production. She was a founding member of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Gallery from 1976 to 1987. Rossini Cullen's domestic exhibitions included venues at the College of St. Catherine, North Hennepin Community College, and Minneapolis Community College, the WARM Gallery in Minneapolis, and the McCrae Gallery at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. Her work is part of collections throughout the United States including Gila Regional Medical Center, Silver City, University of Minnesota Law School, Saint Joseph's Hospital, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis, Dorcy Marquart Law Firm, Minneapolis, and Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc., Saint Paul. Gemma also produced a major suite of drawings for two books, Coulee Deep, poems by Lois Sindelar, Extended Exposure Press, 203, and Twin Cities Perceived, text by Jean Adams Ervin a study of words and drawings, published by University Minnesota Press, 1976. 1,2(Erickson, Elizabeth. (2009). Gemma: Tales of Change. Saint Paul, MN: St. Catherine University.)
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rossini+Cullen%2C+Gemma">Rossini Cullen, Gemma</a>
Gift of Rossini Cullen Family Estate
circa 1995
<a href="http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/579">http://cdm16120.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/fineart/id/579</a>
pen and ink
23 x 30 inches
paper
drawing
drawing
2012.3.2
Flight Of The Blue Eagle
This pencil and color pencil drawing is of the upper torso and head of a woman superimposed with a bird forms, including an eagle and an owl. The wings of each are outstretched, and further sets of outstretched wings are incorporated into the work, some of which almost as if standing in for the woman’s hair. The woman’s bare arms are raised up over her body, her head is turned up and to her left, and her eyes and mouth are open, as if in the act of crying out. Areas of purple, blue, red, orange and yellow are added to delineate the forms.
<a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Rossini+Cullen%2C+Gemma">Rossini Cullen, Gemma</a>
<a href="https://content.clic.edu/digital/collection/fineart/id/580/rec/1">https://content.clic.edu/digital/collection/fineart/id/580/rec/1</a>
1999
Gift of Rossini Cullen Family Estate
St. Catherine University. This digital image may not be reproduced for any reason without the
express written consent of St. Catherine University. Artwork available
for faculty/staff use. Please contact the Catherine G. Murphy Art
Gallery Director, Kathy Daniels, at (651) 690-6637.
Gemma Rossini Cullen (1937-2004) was born in Saint Paul, MN. She received a B.A. from the College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University) in 1960 and an B.F.A. from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1969. She became a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet in 1955 and exited in 1967. She married Walter Cullen in 1969. The couple had two children, Enrique and Tonya, and remained married until her death in 2004. Gemma’s work includes large-format paintings and drawings. It routinely depicts women, nature, architectural elements, and abstract forms, at times with an emphasis on repetitive morphing or mutating imagery, and an incorporation of negative space. Like many women were emerging from the Catholic religious community in the 1960s, Gemma was questioning the ways in which the church had marginalized the role of women within its community in the past and, as an ex-sister, exploring new versions of what it meant to be a woman in the present and going forward. In Gemma’s case, this meant exploring creating art for women. Gemma was influenced in her exploration by the writings of Carl Jung and his exploration of “global cultural histories and archetypal realities.â€1 The archetype [and transformation thereof] Gemma was most interested in was that of the Goddess, and she explored this subject in many of her works. As she continued to evolve as an artist, her interest in metamorphosis grew, and she would eventually create a number of successful drawings depicting this concept. In 1992 Rossini Cullen founded her own company, Business Graphics Network. She worked there until 2004 in graphic design, sales, and production. She was a founding member of the Women's Art Registry of Minnesota (WARM) Gallery from 1976 to 1987. Rossini Cullen’s domestic exhibitions included venues at the College of St. Catherine, North Hennepin Community College, and Minneapolis Community College, the WARM Gallery in Minneapolis, and the McCrae Gallery at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. Her work is part of collections throughout the United States including Gila Regional Medical Center, Silver City, University of Minnesota Law School, Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Saint Paul, Saint Paul Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Federal Reserve Bank, Minneapolis, Dorcy Marquart Law Firm, Minneapolis, and Cardiac Pacemaker, Inc., Saint Paul. Gemma also “produced a major suite of drawings for two books, Coulee Deep, poems by Lois Sindelar, Extended Exposure Press, 203, and Twin Cities Perceived, text by Jean Adams Ervin a study of words and drawings, published by University Minnesota Press, 1976.â€2 1,2(Erickson, Elizabeth. (2009). Gemma: Tales of Change. Saint Paul, MN: St. Catherine University.)
pencil and colored pencil
drawing
19 x 23 inches
drawing
2012.3.5