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History: Women in Art: 20th Century Modernism

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Introduction

This module opens with a perusal of Modernist representation of the female body. We then examine gender, race, and Modernism thoughout the 20th century. Our studies of women artists focus on photographers living and working during these tumultuous years.

Topics

  • women’s contributions to modernism--styles
  • portraiture
  • representations of the female body
  • gender and race
  • other important painters, sculptors, photographers: Suzanne Valadon, Frida Kahlo, Camille Claudel, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablita Velarde, Lee Krasner, Louise Nevelson, Helen Frankenthaler, Niki de Saint Phalle, Betye Saar, and Faith Ringgold

Outcomes

By end of this week, you should able to

  • list the women painters, photographers, sculptors, collage and textile artists of these eras
  • recognize the styles of the era
  • describe 20th century changes and trends
  • recognize and describe the movement against stereotypes
  • discuss the artists, techniques, and concepts of abstract expressionism

Modernism-Collage

This site covers collage of the modern period. Women artists featured are Hannah Höch, Deborah Withey, and Amber Zavada.

Suzanne Valadon (1865-1938)

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)

TwoFridas.jpg
Frida Kahlo, The Two Fridas, 1939

Frida Kahlo was married to Diego Rivera (Mexican Muralist). She is often discussed as surreal as she explores herself in her many autobiographical images filled with symbolic meaning. Her life was filled with health problems and stormy relationships. She also was deeply committed to her Mexican heritage as seen in her clothing.

Camille Claudel (1864-1943)

Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986)

During the 20’s Georgia O'Keeffe lived in New York and married Alfred Stieglitz. She always believed, "You have to live in today." She had a fascination with the fast pace of city life and many of her works move toward formal abstraction.

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Georgia O'Keeffe, New York, Night, 1929

New York, Night depicts soaring skyscrapers and moving lights. Reminiscent of the Percisionist movement and the aesthetics of Whistler, the painting demonstrates her strong desire toward design on a two dimensional plane.

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Georgia O'Keeffe, Black Place II, 1944

Later moving away from the city in search of more contemplative space, she moved to the Southwestern United States and began focusing on a more formal abstraction based on floral motifs and other still-life objects. She reduced subjects in their purist forms focusing on color, shape, texture and rhythm for a gracefully poetic vision.

Lee Krasner (1908-1984)

, Louise Nevelson, Helen Frankenthaler, Niki de Saint Phalle, Betye Saar, and Faith Ringgold

Pablita Velarde (1918-2006)

Lois Mailou Jones (1905-1998)

Hung Liu (1948-Present)

Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002)


History

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2019-10-24 14:15 SCantor
Updated links to new tabs, added better option for Saar along with recent interview. Cut down text on Murray (too long compared to other artists)
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2019-10-24 13:51 SCantor Updated links to new tabs, created links for Krasner and Nevelson 8
2019-10-24 13:35 SCantor Updated links to new tabs, removed Collage link (no context or any background info), added Dorothea Tanning 7
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