WOMEN ARTISTS – In the 20th and 21st century

Inbunden bok. Taschen – (Icons Series). 2003. 192 sidor.

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"The book, published in the `Icons' series, illustrates more than 350 works by almost 200 artists, primarily those engaged in painting and drawing, but also including sculptors, photographers, designers and those engaged in film, video and mixed media - although, in the late 20th and early 21st century, such categories have become increasingly blurred. The life of each artist is briefly described following a personal statement by the artist.

I was surprised to read in Uta Grosenick's introductory text, "It's a women's world", that the first exhibition devoted to women's drawings was held in Amsterdam in 1884, to be followed by similar shows in Paris in 1908 and 1918. Grosenick points out that `even though women now had access to educational institutions, and were less restrained by social convention than previously, their professional advancement was nevertheless still dependent on their exploitation of individual contacts with men already established in the art business'. There were few women, like Georgia O'Keeffe, with the self-confidence and ability to cast off this support when it had served its purpose.

As the 20th century continued, there was an increasing number of discrete art movements, each with its supportive critics, able interact with one another or split into smaller groups. The late 1960s saw feminism gaining renewed impetus leading to politically motivated actions to disrupt and degrade male-dominated structures.

46 artists from the Western world are presented alphabetically, specifically to avoid prioritising individual artistic movements that might then constrain the inclusion of artists working in different media and styles. However, an attempt has been made to include as many of the tendencies and styles reflected in the works of 20th century women artists as possible. It will be interesting to look back from the mid-21st century to see just which artistic reputations have fallen by the wayside and which have sprung up from the background.

As examples of the range of artists included one might contrast: Sonia Delaunay ("Contrastes simultanés", 1912) and Louis Bourgeouis ("Maman", 1999); Rosemarie Trockel (Kevin at Noon", 2000) and Louise Nevelson ("Royal Tide IV", 1960) or Lee Krasner (Flowering Limb", 1963) and Hannah Hoch ("Schnitt mit dem Küchenmesser durch die letzte Weimarer Bierbauchkulturepoche Deutschlands", 1919).

I was surprised to see that Käthe Kollwitz and Gabriele Münter were not included (maybe this would have produced a regional imbalance?), but criticising the editor and making up one's own list is part of the enjoyment of such a book.
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