Abstract Expressionism
The Women's Movement at the Whitney
A fascinating show opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City this past October. The exhibition, Labyrinth of Forms: Women and Abstraction, 1930–1950, showcases works by American artists dedicated to abstraction. This extraordinary group of women includes Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Louise Nevelson, and Alice Trumbull Mason.
The title Labyrinth of Forms is borrowed from one of the Alice Trumbull Mason featured works, and most come from the museum’s collection. By visiting, one has the opportunity to see over thirty pieces by twenty-seven artists, as well as learn about their lives. You can also observe how works on paper served as a means of experimentation and innovation.
The show is curated by Sarah Humphreville, Senior Curatorial Assistant, who has stated that “Labyrinth of Forms is an exciting opportunity to reevaluate the history of abstraction in the United States. The exhibition sheds light on the vital impact artists of the 1930s and 1940s had on the evolution and reception of abstract art in this country, the integral role of drawings and prints in its development, and, of course, the essential contributions that women made. It also gives the Whitney’s audiences the chance to see works from the collection that have rarely, if ever, been exhibited before.” The increased exposure to European avant-garde art was how abstraction began to flourish. Abstraction prevailed in the US after World War II, but before that Realism was dominant, meaning that abstract painters had to fight to be respected and make a name for themselves in the art world. Realism was preferred by museums and critics over this new style, and abstract artists were outnumbered. It caused them to form communities and rely on each other for support and to exchange ideas. Women played a vital role in the development of abstraction, and except for a few cases like Lee Krasner or Louise Nevelson, they never received the recognition they deserved.
The Whitney show highlights the brilliance as well as the diversity of these women, and it includes drawings, woodcuts, intaglios, lithographs, and collages. Some other notable artists that also have a presence in the show include Katherine Dreier, Charmion von Wiegand, June Wayne, Rosalind Bengelsdorf, Perle Fine, Hedda Sterne, Anne Ryan, and Dorothy Dehner. Labyrinth of Forms includes a related online essay by Sarah Humphreville.
New Yorkers should not miss this opportunity to see works by some of the most influential women artists all in one place. ´Labyrinth of Forms: Women and Abstraction, 1930–1950´ is on view in the Museum’s third-floor Susan and John Hess Family Gallery from October 9, 2021, to March 2022. Keep in mind that face covering and proof of vaccination are required for access.
