Hexad of Masterpieces Celebrating Science Hangs in UNM’s PAÍS Building

Striking WPA Project ‘meant to be publicly viewed,’ says director

By Lindsay Wood

Arif Khan, director of the UNM Art Museum, stands near three of the paintings that make up The Cycles of Science by painter Raymond Jonson. Photo credit: Lindsay Wood.

Six dazzling paintings, rainbow-colored tributes to science that have been hidden in storage for decades, are now on display in the Physics, Astronomy and Interdisciplinary Science (PAÍS) building on UNM campus. They are so brilliant and warm that standing close seems to risk singeing one’s eyebrows. Born from the dark era of the Great Depression, their buoyant colors and forms seem defiant in the face of tribulation. And, until now, the public has rarely had a chance to see them all together in the 90 years since their creation.

The paintings were finished in 1934 by one of UNM’s seminal artists, Raymond Jonson, for whom the Jonson Gallery, his former home and studio, was named. Commissioned under the New Deal by the Works Progress Administration, the six pieces, titled The Cycles of Science, were intended for the public’s benefit. Originally fitted to adorn the walls of UNM’s then-library, when Zimmerman Library opened in 1938 they found themselves without a home.

From left to right, Engineering, Astronomy and Mathematics. Courtesy of the University of New Mexico Art Museum. Photo credit: Stefan Jennings Batista.

“They were meant to be publicly viewed,” said Arif Khan, director of the UNM Art Museum. But with the limited space at the museum and the paintings’ large scale, “we would occasionally [show] one or two, but never the whole series.” Which meant that by and large, “they had been in storage for decades.”

That changed in 2021. With the PAÍS building in the works, Khan recognized an opportunity to restore the science-themed paintings to the public realm. “I talked to the project manager and the architect about it and they felt like it would be a great fit [aesthetically],” but it also, “brings in some past history of the university,” said Khan.

UNM Professor Raymond Jonson instructs painting students circa 1940. Courtesy of the University of New Mexico Art Museum.

Jonson, an iconic figure on campus who taught for 20 years, was a co-founder of the Transcendental Painting Group, which included members such as Agnes Pelton and Emil Bisttram. As his legacy, Jonson curated more than 600 of his own paintings, which the UNM Art Museum keeps

“His work still feels very fresh and contemporary,” said Khan. “He was very influential in establishing the visual arts on UNM’s campus."

The UNM Art Museum holds the largest collection of fine art in the state. Khan, who has served in his current position since 2016, says his fingers are crossed that someday they will acquire a larger space to showcase the collection, but no concrete plans exist at the moment.

Khan, who remembers originally being brought to campus to visit the art museum by a high school photo teacher, emphasizes the accessibility of UNM’s collections to the public. In addition to the UNM Art Museum, the community can enjoy sculptures around campus, the historical photographs in Zimmerman Library and artworks in the Beaumont Newhall Study Room, which students and community members can request to see up close—appointment required. He also touts a project currently in progress meant to digitize much of the collection in order to make it available online.

In New Mexico, where art is abundant, it’s easy to take it for granted. But The Cycles of Science and Jonson’s optimistic take on human ingenuity are worth the trip to campus.

From left to right, Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Courtesy of the University of New Mexico Art Museum. Photo credit: Stefan Jennings Batista

The Cycles of Science are now on permanent display and can be visited Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enter through the courtyard door of the PAÍS building and turn right. A cushioned banquette allows for extended viewing of the works. Click here to learn more on the topic from ¡COLORES! by NMPBS.