Gallery Talk: Dr. Ellen G. Landau Abstract Expressionists: The Women

Overview

Since its inception of Abstract Expressionism, widely considered the “triumph” of American painting, overwhelmingly marginalized its women participants. By the early postwar period, Abstract Expressionist artists, mainly in Manhattan, began to develop a truly radical approach to process, gesture, scale, and surface that appeared to mirror in art the kind of hypermasculinity U.S. soldiers in WW II had demonstrated on a global stage.

Abstract Expressionists: The Women, aims to upend this gendered narrative, providing conclusive validation for more than thirty female painters who concurrently explored that new mode in New York, the California Bay Area, and Paris, proving they were not—as has typically been presented—mere acolytes or re-interpreters of male achievement, but rather ambitious practitioners and innovators.

Curator Ellen G. Landau will explore in interesting detail the truly vital role these women played in the advancement of America’s avant-garde. Ellen Landau is a respected figure in art scholarship and curatorial practice, known for her contributions to expanding the understanding of modern art movements and presenting overlooked narratives.

Address