Josephine Halverson — Spritz3000

Josephine Halvorson
(b. 1981) based in Western Massachusetts

Gouache, screen print, and site material on panels
42 × 32 in.

In Ground Register: First Frost (2018), Josephine Halvorson captures a section of ground where a delicate layer of frost traces the contours of earth and debris. Executed in gouache, screen print, and site material on panel, the work incorporates a measured ruler along one edge corresponding to the scale of the plants and a painted palette indexing every color used in the making of the painting. Though the composition reads as cool and silvery, the palette reveals a wider range of hues, reflecting Halvorson’s ability to marshal paint’s full range to evoke the atmosphere and sensation of winter.

Gouache and site material on panel
42 × 32 in.

In Ground Register: Spiral / North (2019), Josephine Halvorson renders a section of ground where a spiral of pale stones encircles small plants, their greens and burgundies vivid against the reddish-brown earth. Executed in gouache and site material on panel, the work includes a north-pointing arrow beneath the image, anchoring the scene to a precise orientation. The spiral form recalls both Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty and the broader history of land art, while also evoking the spiral’s recurring presence in nature as a symbol of growth, cycles, and continuity. Halvorson transforms direct observation into a tactile, resonant record, using the full range of paint’s capacities to convey the material presence and layered significance of place.

Oil on linen
23 × 15 inches

In Ghost (2017), Josephine Halvorson paints the deeply textured bark of a tree, its surface bearing the weathered rectangular trace of a long-removed sign. The marked area is surrounded by ridged, green-tinged bark and flecks of lichen, while shards of yellow and white paint cling like remnants of another time. The title evokes the lingering imprint of what is no longer there, demonstrating Halvorson’s ability to transform close observation into paintings that hold the weight of history in their surfaces. Through deliberate mark-making and subtle modulation of color, she conveys both the physical presence of the tree and the quiet endurance of its past.

Josephine Halvorson (b. 1981, Brewster, Massachusetts) creates paintings that result from sustained, direct observation of the world around her. Working on site, she paints objects, surfaces, and landscapes at a 1:1 scale, recording their particularities of light, texture, and time. Her work often reflects the physical and temporal conditions of its making—shadows shifting across a wall, a gust of wind ruffling paint, or the changing angle of the sun—bringing the act of perception into the finished image. Halvorson has expanded her practice to include printmaking, sculpture, and public art, while continuing to pursue a deep engagement with place. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship to Vienna, and her work has been exhibited widely in the United States and abroad. Based in western Massachusetts, she is Professor of Art and Chair of Graduate Studies in Painting at Boston University. Recent exhibitions include On the Ground at Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York; States of Site at the Georgia Museum of Art, Athens; and Slow Seeing at the National Gallery, London.