ABriefHistoryofAmericanAbstractArtists

andtheWomenWhoHelpedtoMakeit

CompiledbyCreightonMichaelforAmericanAbstractArtists

TheartworldofNewYorkCityin1900-1936

Women’sArtClubfoundedin1889(1913)TheAssociationofWomenPaintersandSculptors

(1941)TheNationalAssociationofWomenArtists

“AshcanSchool”

AlfredStieglitz’sgalleries:2911905-1917IntimateGallery1925-29AnAmericanPlace1929-1946

AssociationofAmericanPaintersandSculptors1912-1916organizedthe“1913ArmoryShow”

WhitneyStudioopensin1914becomesTheWhitneyStudioClubin1918(GertrudeVanderbiltWhitney)

SocietyofIndependentArtists1916-1951

SociétéAnonyme,Inc.1920-1940

NewYorkSocietyofWomenArtists1925-TheresaFerberBernsteinisanearlymember

GalleryofLivingArtopensin1927changesto“Museum”in1936,closesin1942(A.E.Gallatin)

MOMAopensin1929

TheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArtopensin1930

AmericanAbstractArtists1936-

ThomasPollockAnshutz GiffordBeal GeorgeBellows GlennO.Coleman ArthurBowenDavies AbasteniaSt.LegerEberle WilliamGlackens RobertHenri(RobertHenryCozad)

EugeneHiggins LewisHine EdwardHopper

GeorgeLuks AmyLondoner TheresaFerberBernstein JeromeMyers MauricePrendergast JacobRiis MargarettSargent EverettShinn JohnFrenchSloan CarlSprinchorn

Womenofthe“AshcanSchool”

Theterm“Ashcan”mayhaveoriginatedfromanarticlepublishedinTheMassesdescribingcurrentpaintingsas"picturesofashcansandgirlshitchinguptheirskirtsonHoratioStreet.”Initiallyknownas“TheEight”referringtotheirfirstexhibitioninNewYorkattheMacbethGalleryin1908,thegroupwaslaterdubbed“TheApostlesofUgliness”bycriticsupsetwiththeirunvarnisheddepictionofurbanlife.

Womenofthe“AshcanSchool”

TheresaBernsteinPolishChurch:EasterMorning,1916Collection:BocaRatonMuseumofArt MargarettSargentWomenandMirror

(Self-portraitwithModel),1933-1936Collection:CapeAnnMuseum,Gloucester,MA

AbasteniaSt.LegerEberleWomanPickingUpCoal1908PrivateCollection

AmyLondonerCafeElegantc.1925PrivateCollection

TheInternationalExhibitionofModernArtaka“1913ArmoryShow”

ArtInstituteofChicago

69thRegimentArmory,NewYorkCity

TheexhibitionalsotraveledtoBostonandwasinstalledattheCopleySocietyofArt.Duetothelackofspace,workbyAmericanartistswasremoved.

WomenParticipatinginTheInternationalExhibitionofModernArt“1913ArmoryShow”48outof300artistsparticipatingwerewomen.

FlorenceHowellBarkleyMarionH.BeckettBessieMarshBrewerFannieMillerBrownEdithWoodmanBurroughsMaryCassattÉmilieCharmyNessaCohenKateCoryEdithDimock(Mrs.WilliamGlackens)KatherineS.DreierAileenKingDresserFlorenceDreyfousAbasteniaSt.LegerEberleFlorenceEstéLilyEverettMaryFooteAnneGoldthwaiteEdithHaworthMargaretHoardMargaretWendellHuntingtonGwenJohnGraceMottJohnsonEdithL.King

HermineE.KleinertMarieLaurencinAmyLondonerJacquelineMarvalCarolynMaseKathleenMcEneryCharlotteMeltzerMyraMusselmann-CarrEthelMyersHelenJ.NilesOlgaOppenheimerMarjorieOrgan(Mrs.RobertHenri)JosephinePaddockAgnesLawrencePeltonHarrietSophiaPhillipsLouisePopeMayWilsonPrestonKatharineRhoadesMaryRogersFrancesSimpsonStevensBessiePotterVonnohHildaWardEnidYandellMargueriteZorach

HalfDome,Yosemite,CaliforniaWatercolorovergraphiteonpaper10x13.3”1920Collection:BrooklynMuseum

MargueriteZorach

AbstractPortraitofMarcelDuchampOiloncanvas18x32”1918Collection:MOMA

KatherineS.DreierCo-founderofSocietyofIndependentArtists

andSociétéAnonyme

SociétéAnonyme,Inc.1920-1940

Courtesy:ofTheYaleUniversityArtGallery

KatherineSophieDreier1877-1952Brooklyn,NY

SociétéAnonyme,Inc.wasanartorganizationfoundedin1920(endedin1940)byKatherineDreier,ManRayandMarcelDuchamp.Thesocietysponsoredlectures,concerts,publications,andexhibitionsofmodernart,includingtheInternationalExhibitionofModernArtattheBrooklynMuseumin1926.ThecollectionwasdonatedtoYalein1941.ManRaychosethetitleincorrectlythinkinganonymeinFrenchmeant“anonymous”whenitactuallytranslatesascorporation.DuchampaddedInc.makingthetitleinEnglish,Corporation,Inc.

PortraitofGertrudeVanderbiltWhitneyEdwardSteichenGelatinsilverprintmountonboard165/8x137/16”1931Collection:WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt

GertrudeVanderbiltWhitneyArtist,PatronandFounderoftheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt

1875-1942

In1914GertrudeVanderbiltWhitneyopenedtheWhitneyStudioanexhibitionspaceforyoungandinnovativeartistsnearherownstudioinGreenwichVillage.Thefollowingyear,sheorganizedtheFriendsoftheYoungArtists,whichwouldbecomeby1918TheWhitneyStudioClub,hiringJulianaForceasitsdirector.AftertheMetropolitanMuseumofArtrejectedhergiftin1929of500plusworksprimarilybycontemporaryAmericanartists,shedecidestoopenTheWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArtin1930,whereitwillremainatthatlocationuntil1954,whenitmovestemporarytoWest53rdStreet.OpeningintheWhitneyMuseum’soriginallocationonWest8thStreettenyearslateristheNewYorkStudioSchoolofDrawing,PaintingandSculpturefoundedbyMercedesMatter,artist,educatorandoneoftheFoundingMembersofAmericanAbstractArtists.

AlbertEugeneGallatin 1881Villanova,Pennsylvania-1952NewYorkCity

1920’smemberofSociétéAnonyme,Inc 1927openedGalleryofLivingArtchangedto“Museum”in1936.Itwasthefirst museumdevotedentirelytomodernart.Closedin1942 1937joinedAmericanAbstractArtistswithfellow“ParkAvenueCubists” GeorgeL.K.Morris,SuzyFrelinghuysen,andCharlesG.Shaw.Helpedtofinance

thefirstexhibitionattheSquibbGallery

A.E.Gallatin1905

FormsandRedOiloncanvas30x23”1949Collection:MuseumofModernArt

TheParkAvenueCubists

CharlesGreenShawUntitledAbstractionOilonfiberboard11.5x15.5”1943Collection:SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum

GeorgeL.K.MorrisIndustrialLandscapeOiloncanvas49.5x63.5”1936-1950Collection:SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum

SuzyFrelinghuysenCompositionOilandcollageonboard40x30”1943

A.E.GallatinUntitledOiloncanvas511/8x321/4”1937Collection:BrooklynMuseumofArt

Ofthe39FoundingMembersofAmericanAbstractArtists

9werewomen

JosefAlbers 1888Germany-1976CTRosalindBengelsdorf1916-1979NYCIlyaBolotowsky1907Russia-1981NYCHarryBowden1907LA-1965ByronBrowne1907Yonkers-1961NYCGiorgioCavallon1904Italy-1989NYCArthurN.Christie1891NJ-1980NJAnnaCohenBurgoyneDiller1906-1965NYCWernerDrewes1899Germany(Poland)-1985VARayKaiserEames1912CA-1988CAHerzlEmmanuel1914PA-2002CTRobertFosterBalcombGreene1904Millville,NY-1990MontaukGertrudeGreene1904-1956NYCHananiahHarari1912Rochester,NY-2000Hawthorne,NYCarlHolty,Germany1900-1973NYCHarryHoltzman1912NYC-1987Lyme,CTFrederickKann1886Czechoslovakia-1965CAPaulKelpe1902Germany-1985TX

MarieKennedyLeoLances1908/10-1981CTIbramLassaw1913Egypt-2003EastHampton,NYAgnesE.Lyall1908NJ-2013AliceTrumbullMason1904CT-1971NYCMercedesMatter1913NYC-2001EastHamptonGeorgeMcNeil1908-1995NYCGeorgeL.K.Morris1905NYC-1975MAJohnOpper1908Chicago-1994Amagansett,NYRalphR.Rosenborg1913Brooklyn-1992Portland,ORLouisSchanker1903-1981NYCCharlesG.Shaw1892-1974NYCEsphyrSlobodkina1908Russia-2002GlenHead,NYAlbertSwinden1901England-1961NYCR.D.Turnbull1899NJ-1943VaclavVytlacil1892-1984NYCRudolphWeisenborn1881Germany-1974ChicagoFrederickJohnWhiteman1909-1997PAW.M.(Wilfred)Zogbaum1915RI-1965NYC

Untitled12x93/16”offsetlithographonpaper1937Collection:SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum

MarieKennedy

AgnesEarlLyall1908-2013

Untitled12x93/16”offsetlithographonpaper1937Collection:SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum

RosalindBengelsdorf(Browne)1916-1979

StillLifeCaseinandtemperaonpaper18x14”1936HighMuseumofArtGiftofMr.StephenBrowne

AstudentofHansHofmann,RosalindBengelsdorfwasanartist,educator,criticandwriterwhochampionedabstractartingeneralandtheAmericanAbstractArtistsinparticular.

CentralNurses’ResidenceMural,WelfareIsland(RooseveltIsland)1938CollectionofthePublicDesignCommissionoftheCityofNewYork

RayKaiserEames1912-1988CA

CharlesandRayEamesBucketChair1951

Crosspatch(afabricdesign)1945LibraryofCongress

PaperCollage1943LibraryofCongress

WithherhusbandCharlesEames,RayformedtheEamesOffice,whosenotablecontributionsaidedthedevelopmentandpopularityofModernismindesignandarchitecturefromthe1940’sthruthe1980’s.

CharlesandRayEamesLaChaise1948

GertrudeGlassGreene1904-1956

Photocredit:HansNamuth

UntitledPapercollage8x12”1938 ConstructioninOchre

wood,andMasoniteonMasonite361/8x24”1941Collection:BrooklynMuseum

“GreenewasoneoftheearliestAmericanartists,possiblythefirst,toproducenon-objectivereliefsculpturesintheearly1930’s.ShesynthesizedCubistandRussianConstructiviststhemesintoherwork.Bythe1940s,herworkshowedherinterestinMondrianandNeo-Plasticism.”CatherineS.Gaines,2011;BalcombandGertrudeGreenepapers,circa1880s-2009,bulkcirca1905-1990

AliceTrumbullMason1904Litchfield,CT-1971NYC

President1959-1963

EmergentFormOilonboardmountedonwoodenstrainer2715/16x23”1945Collection:GuggenheimMuseum

SmallFormsServingAgainstLargeOilonpanel26.2x26.2”1949CourtesyWashburnGallery,NYC

AliceTrumbullMasonAAAThirtiethAnniversaryExhibitionRiversideMuseum,NYCPhotocredit:JohnD.Schiff1954

 

JeanneMercedesCarlesMatter 1913NYC-2001EastHampton,NY

FounderoftheNewYorkStudioSchool

UntitledTabletopStillLifeOiloncanvasboard12x16”Ca.1935-36

FigureStudyACharcoalonpaper14x16”1966-68

DriftwoodHerbertMatter1940

HansHofmann1880Germany-1966NYC

Thoughneveramember,hisinfluenceasateacherandmentorwasinstrumentalinthecreationoftheAmericanAbstractArtists.AmonghisstudentswereearlyAAAmembersLee(Lenore)Krasner,LouiseNevelson,RosalindBengelsdorfBrowne,NellBlaine,RayKaiserEames,andMercedesMatter.

Effervescenceoil,Indiaink,casein,andenamelonplywoodpanel54.375”x35.875”1942Collection:BerkeleyArtMuseum

“AnumberofthememberswerestudentsofHansHofmann.LiketheHofmannSchool,theAAAhadmanygiftedwomenmembers,onceagainprovingthatNewYorkSchoolprejudiceagainstwomenbeganwiththearrivaloftheSurrealists.Thegroupwasgenerallyorientedtowardthehardedge,non-objectivestylesratherthantowardHofmann’sexpressionistabstractionsfromnatureandthenude.Diverseastheirabstractstylesmightbe,AAAartistswereunitedintheirrejectionofRegionaliststylesofAmericanScenepainters,whichtheyconsideredillustrationandnotFineArt.Becausetheyweredeterminednottoallowtheirarttobecomeaninstrumentofpoliticalpropaganda,theyalsoopposedSocialistRealismonpolitical,ratherthanestheticgrounds.”BarbaraRose,TheAmericanAbstractArtists:TheEarlyYearsPart1Exhibitioncatalogue,page9,1980.

GertrudeGlassGreene

1904-1956NYC

GertrudeGreeneasreceptionistforAAA’sFirstExhibitionattheSquibbGalleryin1937.

From“AbstractArtistsOpenShowToday”NewYorkTimesApril6,1937

critic,AldenJewell,wroteIntothewideopenspacesinthethirty-thirdflooroftheSquibbBuilding,thirty-nineAmerican“abstractartists”haveventured,eachofthembringexamplesofhisownspecialingenuity,eacharguinginsomedegreehisendorsementasaraconteuroftalesfromoveryonderontheRiveGauchethathavebeguntoassume,bythistime,aslypatinaofage.WhattheyhaveputondisplayattheSquibbmakesacolorful,anoftenresoundingmassdemonstrationofdecorativedesign.

From“PlentyofDudsFoundinAbstractArtShowAmericanAbstractArtists”NewYorkPostFebruary19,1938

critic,JeromeKleinwrote

“…Andwhatistheresult?Aseriesoflightpops,abitofsizzlehere,fizzlethereandplentyofduds.”

PioneersofAbstractArt:AmericanAbstractArtists,1936-1996Catalogueessay,pages7-9SandraKraskinDirector,SidneyMishkinGalleryBaruchCollege/TheCityUniversityofNewYork

TheRiversideMuseumwaslocatedonthelowerfloorsof310RiversideDriveatW103rdStreetintheMasterApartmentsortheMasterBuilding,a27-storytowerbuiltbyLouisHorchin1928-29.TheRiversideMuseumopenedin1938inthespacepreviouslyoccupiedbytheNicholasRoerichMuseum.AstheRiversideMuseum’sfirstdirector,VernonC.Porter’sfocuswastoexhibitworkbycontemporaryAmericanartists.AmericanAbstractArtistshaditsfirstannualmembershipexhibitionattheRiversideMuseumin1939withitsfinalexhibitionin1965.Duetoeconomicpressures,theRiversideMuseumclosedin1971.In1988theMasterBuildingwasconvertedtoaco-op,receivedLandmarkstatusin1989andwasplacedontheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlacesin2016.

TheRiversideMuseumhostedAAAAnnualExhibitionsfrom1939-1965

AAAPresidents7ofthe18Presidentswerewomen

LeoRabkin1966-1978

JudithRothschild1978-1979

IreneRousseau1980-1981 MerrillWagner1982-1985

DavidReed1985-1986

BeatriceRiese1990-2003

DonVoisine2004-2012

DanielG.Hill2013-2018

JimOsman2019-

BalcombGreene 193619391941CarlHolty1937-1938R.D.Turnbull1940IlyaBolotowskydatesunclear

IbramLassaw1946-1949CharmionvonWiegand1951,1953HenryBotkin1952 1954-1955

AliceTrumbullMason1959-1963EsphyrSlobodkina1963-1966

CharmionvonWiegand1896Chicago-1983NYCPresident1951,1953

UntitledOiloncanvas20x18”1946

Gouache#100Gouacheandgraphite203/4x1415/16”1958DavisMuseumatWellesleyCollege

Photocredit:ArnoldNewman

AliceTrumbullMason’slettertothemembershipofAAAonMay23,1944,noted:“ithasbecomeapparentthat,aspublicinterestinabstractarthasincreasedthemembershaveshownlessandlessinterestinfurtheringtheaimsforwhichthegroupwasfounded.Thisyearindeedmany,asfarasthegroupisconcerned,haveceasedtofunctionentirely.”

PioneersofAbstractArt:AmericanAbstractArtists,1936-1996Catalogueessay,page19SandraKraskinDirector,SidneyMishkinGalleryBaruchCollege/TheCityUniversityofNewYork

AliceTrumbullMason1948CourtesyCecilyKahn

By194714oftheoriginal39membershadresignedincludingBalcombGreeneresignedin1942GertrudeGreeneresignedin1942PaulKelpewasaskedtoresignbecausehisspacewastoorepresentationalJohnOpperresignedtomakeartthatwouldleadtosocialreform

TheArtofThisCenturyGallery1942-1947

Exhibitionby31WomenJanuary-February1943AAAmembersthatparticipatedwereSuzyFrelinghuysenLouiseNevelsonIreneRicePereiraEsphyrSlobodkina“JamesStern,artcriticTimemagazine,refusedtoreviewtheexhibitiononthebasisthattherehadneverbeenafirst–ratewomanartistandthatwomenshouldsticktohavingbabies”KatBuckley,2010**Sharp,J.,“ServingtheFuture:TheExhibitionsatArtofThisCentury1942—1947”inPeggyGuggenheim&FrederickKiesler:TheStoryofArtofThisCentury,ed.SusanDavidsonandPhilipRylands(NewYork:GuggenheimMuseum,2004),292

TheWomenJune-July1945featuring33womenartistsAAAmembersthatparticipatedwereNellBlaineLouiseBourgeoisLeeKrasnerCharmionvonWiegandBettyParsonsGallery,whichopenedin1946,wouldrepresentTheArtofThisCenturyGalleryartistsafteritclosedin1947.

EsphyrSlobodkina1908Russia-2002GlenHead,NY President1963-1966

Crossroad#2Oilonfiberboard43.5x44.5”1942-45SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseumGiftofPatriciaandPhillipFrost

CapsforSale1938

TheDerelictWood39x30x8.5”1938©SlobodkinaFoundation

LeoRabkin1919Cincinnati-2015NYC

President1966-1978

UntitledCanvasandrope30x35”1958

Wire:StainlessCopperInkjetprint9.75x12.75”AAA75thAnniversaryPrintPortfolio2012Collection:MetropolitanMuseumofArt

JudithRothschild1921-1993NYC

President1978-1979

GreyTangentOiloncanvas30x25”1945Collection:MetropolitanMuseumofArt

GothicStudies6Piecedpaperandacryliconfoamboard1992Collection:RISDMuseum

IreneRousseau1941NY-

HyperbolicBlueVenetianGlassonwood23.5”indiameter2003

StretchingtheSpace(bluebackground)Oiloncanvas36x36x2”2018

President1980-1981

MerrillWagner1935Seattle–

President1982-1985

Untitled3x6’Acryliconcanvas1967

Untitled18.75x17.5”Paintedsteel2012

DavidReed1946SanDiego-

President1985-1986

#432oilandalkydonsolidground32x50”1999-2006

#572-2oilandalkydonpolyester105x49”2005-07/08-2010

BeatriceRiese1917TheHague-2004NYC

President1990-2003

BeforeGuttenbergOilandgraphiteoncanvas50x24”1984Collection:PrincetonUniversityArtMuseum

KufaInkonpaper31x22.25”2003

DonVoisine1952FortKent,ME-President2004-2012

YourIdeaOilonwood24x20”2010

PorterOilonwood9x9”2015CourtesyofMacKenzieFineArts

DrawingbyPhongBui

DanielG.Hill1956Providence,R.I.-President2013-2018

DishtowelFoldv.2polyestercord,PVCrod,stainlesssteel94.5x49x26”2018

JimOsman1956NYC-

President2019-

TwoGracesPigmentedplaster,wood72"x24"x30"1990

TeteWood,paint25"x13"x3”2017

SignificantFormerMembersof

AmericanAbstractArtistsRichardAnuszkiewiczJeanArpWillBarnetHerbertBayerNellBlaineMelBoucherLouiseBourgeoisStuartDavisEleanorDeLaittreJosédeRiveraDavidDiaoTomDoyleLyonelFeiningerHerbertFerberPerleFineSuzyFrelinghuysenJeremyGilbert-RolfeRobertGoodnoughClementGreenbergMarciaHafifNancyHaynesJeanHelionJeneHighsteinWardJacksonGyorgyKepesLeeKrasnerFernandLéger

SolLewittRichardLippoldSeymourLiptonJamesLittleAlLovingBriceMardenClementMeadmoreLaszloMoholy-NagyPietMondrianLouiseNevelsonBenNicholsonBettyParsonsIreneRicePereiraHowardenaPindellJacksonPollockHarveyQuaytmanAdReinhardtHansRichterGeorgeRickeyRobertRymanDavidSmithRobertSmithsonGeorge SugarmanRichardTuttleJackTworkovRuthVollmerJeanXceron

Selectedformerfemalemembers

LouiseBourgeoisLatapisseriedemonenfance,MountainsinAubussonBrushandblackinkandgouacheoncreampapersheet9x12”1947CorcoranCollection©TheEastonFoundation/LicensedbyVAGA,NY.

EleanorDeLaittreUntitledoilonlinenmountedonfiberboard123/8x105/8”1949Collection:SmithsonianAmericanArtMuseum

SuzyFrelinghuysenComposition-ToreadorDrinkingoilonMasonite511/8x351/8”1944Collection:SmithsonianMuseumofArt©FrelinghuysenMorrisFoundation,Lenox,Massachusetts

LeeKrasnerNightCreaturesacryliconpaper30x42.5”1965Collection:MetropolitanMuseumofArt©2019ArtistsRightsSociety,NewYork

Selectedformerfemalemembers

LouiseNevelsonSkyCathedralpaintedwood1043/8x153/4”1982Collection:SmithsonianMuseumofArt

BettyParsonsJune#9oiloncanvas53.50x65.751971

RuthVollmerWalkingBallbronze18x37”1959CourtesyTiltonGallery,NewYork

MarciaHafifUntitledacrylicsprayoncardboard22.38x18.88”ca.1968

NellBlainePeaksOiloncanvas26x21”1948

Ruth Eckstein BlackFieldsVIOilandacrylic30x40”1980CourtesyChildsGallery,Boston

NancyHaynesUntitledOilonslate23.5x23.5”1986Collection:BrooklynMuseum

HowardenaPindellUntitled#98Mixedmediaonboard10x9”1978

FrontRow,lefttoright:KatinkaMann,JoanneFreeman,KarenSchifano,MelissaStaiger,PatriciaZarateMiddleRow,lefttoright:LisaNanni,EmilyBerger,JudithMurray,MartheKeller,MarySchiliro,LynnUmlauf,CeRoserBackRow,lefttoright:LizAinslie,ClaireSeidl,AnneRussinof,KimUchiyama,JaneLogemann,GabrieleEvertz,NolaZirin,LaurieFendrichNotpictured:AliceAdams,EveAscheim,SiriBerg,SusanBonfils,NaomiBoretz,SharonBrant,HeidiGluck,GailGregg,LynneHarlow,MaraHeld,RhiaHurt,PhillisIdeal,CecilyKahn,IonaKleinhaut,IreneLawrence,NancyManter,JoanneMattera,MaryObering,RaquelRabinovich,DorotheaRockburne,LorenzaSannai,SusanSmith,LiTrincere,CloverVail,VeraVasek,MerrillWagner,JeanneWilkinson

WomenofAmericanAbstractArtists2019

BlurringBoundaries:TheWomenofAmericanAbstractArtists

Curator:RebeccaDiGiovanna

TheEwingGalleryattheUniversityofTennessee,KnoxvillewithsupportfromClaraM.EagleGalleryatMurrayStateUniversity,KentuckyTouringthroughtheInternationalArtsandArtists,Washington,D.C.