expanding ABSTRACTION new england women painters 1950 to now APRIL 7 - SEPTEMBER 17, 2017 deCordova Sculpture Park & Museum Contents Introduction 5 Acknowledgements 9 Artists in the Exhibition 10 Expanding Abstraction by Decade 11 1950s & 1960s 12 1970s 22 1980s 36 1990s 48 2000s & 2010s 58 Timeline 65 Statistics 71 Introduction This online publication is an exten- Narratives of abstract painting of the sion of the exhibition Expanding Abstraction: post-war period often commence with the New England Women Painters, 1950 to physically and emotively expressive work Now, on view at deCordova Sculpture Park of artists associated with Abstract Expres- and Museum from April 7 to September 17, sionism. Expanding Abstraction focused on 2017. The exhibition presented a vital yet less familiar pathways of abstraction that lesser-known history of abstract painting in developed in advance of or parallel to such New England by showcasing the work of canonical artistic movements. Organized women painters with strong connections to chronologically, the exhibition began with the region. Despite their relative exclusion works by Irene Rice Pereira and Alice Trum- from mainstream and male-dominated con- bull Mason, both prominently recognized in versations on postwar abstraction, these their day for developing modes of geometric artists have made significant contributions and lyrical abstraction. Pereira was one of to the field. Spanning from the 1950s to the the first women artists to have a solo retro- present, the works in the exhibition broaden spective at a major New York art museum traditions of abstract painting and testify (Whitney Museum of American Art, 1953). to the artists’ unwavering productivity and They were also vocal advocates for non-ob- creative innovation. jective art: Mason was a founding member Expanding Abstraction was drawn pri- of American Abstract Artists (AAA), a group marily from deCordova’s permanent collec- formed in the late 1930s in New York City tion, with select loans from area institutions that provided exhibition venues and enabled and private collections. By foregrounding opportunities for critical discourse of abstrac- diverse painting techniques, processes, and tion. She later served as treasurer (1939), concepts, Expanding Abstraction revealed secretary (1940–45), and president (1959– the complexities of painting in the region and 63) of this organization. Likewise, Pereira Right and above: Installation lay the foundation for a more inclusive under- published and presented at conferences on view, Expanding Abstraction: standing of abstraction through the late twen- subjects pertaining to abstraction and the New England Women Painters, 1950 to Now, deCordova tieth and early twenty-first centuries. With role of women artists. Expanding Abstraction Sculpture Park and Museum, the aim of deepening the study of post-war also brought attention to unique formal ex- Lincoln, MA. Photograph by abstract painting, this online document serves perimentations made by women artists, such Clements Photography and as a resource for scholars and curators. as Beverly Hallam, who pioneered the use of Design, Boston. 5 6 and nationally. The issue included a text by Through this exhibition and online pub- the Boston-based artist Jo Ann Rothschild lication, we hope to amplify the recognition titled “The Invisible Woman Artist,” in which of women painters with strong New England she wrote candidly on the deep imbalance affiliations. Integrating their contributions into of opportunities to exhibit, teach, and sell art historical narratives offers a more diverse artwork that were available to women artists history of post-war painting. We are very in comparison to their male counterparts. grateful to each of the artists in this exhibi- Rothschild provided ratios and other sta- tion, many of whom shared conversations, tistics to support her findings. Inspired by resources, and additional materials on this her research, the curatorial team examined rich legacy of painting in New England. We deCordova’s exhibition history and perma- additionally want to thank the art historians, nent collection to better understand how and curators, and critics who offered nuanced when our institution has supported women perspectives on the complexities of gender artists since its founding in 1950. Some of and abstraction through their exhibitions, these findings are also included at the end of interpretations, and reviews of these painters. Above and right: Installation view, Expanding Abstraction: New England Women Painters, 1950 to Now, this document. deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA. Photograph by Clements Photography and Design, Boston. Sarah Montross, Associate Curator acrylic house paint in the 1950s, and which Brown, Jeanne Leger, Elizabeth Rosenblum, she shared through public demonstrations May Stevens, and Maxine Yalovitz-Blanken- throughout New England. ship. These examples of education, display, In addition to exploring the painters’ and reception provide an introductory map innovations on the canvas, the show empha- of the systems of support, both personal and sized their inter-personal connections and crit- institutional, that enabled the exhibiting artists’ ical reception, particularly in the New Eng- careers. land region. Notable studio spaces, teaching Some of this contextual research was appointments, and instances of mentorship integrated into a timeline that spanned the were highlighted. Maud Morgan was a Museum’s gallery walls and flowed into the central agent in the Boston arts communi- educational and learning spaces. The time- ty, not only for her diverse approaches to line, also included in this online publication, abstraction, but as a role model and support- listed many notable shows, publications, er of younger artists. The exhibition called and events that featured artists in Expand- attention to venues and institutions throughout ing Abstraction. The first event is Fannie New England that were noteworthy for their Hillsmith–Abstract Paintings (1951), which support of women painters since the 1950s. was deCordova’s earliest solo exhibition of a One prominent example is the fellowship woman artist and its first exhibition of ab- program at the Radcliffe Institute for Inde- stract painting. Another significant touchstone pendent Study (now the Radcliffe Institute for was the publication of the March 1985 issue Advanced Study). Five artists in Expanding of Art New England that was devoted to the Abstraction were Radcliffe Fellows—Maggi state of women in the arts, both regionally 7 Acknowledgements Artists in the Exhibition Exhibition organized by Jennifer Gross, former Chief Curator and Deputy Natalie Alper Anne Neely Director of Curatorial Affairs, with Sarah Montross, Associate Curator. Adria Arch Roberta Paul Dorothy Arnold Meg Brown Payson Additional research and writing was conducted by Martina Tanga, Melinda Ashley Irene Rice Pereira Koch Curatorial Fellow, Scout Hutchinson, Curatorial Assistant, Helen Kristin Baker Ann Pibal Lewandowski, former Koch Curatorial Fellow, Jana Herman, Curatorial Cynthia Bloom Katherine Porter Intern, and Clancy Taylor, Curatorial Intern. Lynn Traub, Registrar, Ross Maggi Brown Terri Priest Normandin, Head Preparator, and Rory Beerits, Associate Preparator, Helen Frankenthaler Elizabeth Rosenblum expertly managed the exhibition’s installation, loans, and other logistical concerns. Sharon Friedman Jo Ann Rothschild Jacqueline Gourevitch Jo Sandman Emily Silet, Head of Learning Environments, organized the timeline in Beverly Hallam Sandi Slone collaboration with the Curatorial Department. Julie Bernson, Deputy Fannie Hillsmith May Stevens Director of Learning and Engagement, provided crucial advising, editing, Sherrill Edwards Hunnibell Barbara Takenaga and support surrounding all aspects of exhibition planning. Our gratitude Reese Inman Lois Tarlow extends to Executive Director John B. Ravenal for his ongoing support of Elizabeth Saalfield Ives Irene Valincius critical exhibition projects such as this. Yeffe Kimball Barbara Weldon Jeanne Leger Lucy White This online document was designed by Emma Kraner, Curatorial Intern, and Alice Trumbull Mason Maxine Yalovitz-Blankenship Scout Hutchinson, Curatorial Assistant. Maud Morgan Support for this exhibition was generously provided by Amy and Jonathan Poorvu, Mary and Donald Shockey, The Meredyth Hyatt Moses Fund, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the Deborah A. Hawkins Charitable Trust, Linda and George Kelly, and James and Audrey Foster. 9 10 1950s & 1960s Expanding Abstraction Certain innovations in abstract painting from the mid-twentieth century, such as Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings and Mark Rothko’s clouds of color, by Decade are well established in art history. Yet less familiar developments, like the architectural abstractions of Alice Trumbull Mason, also provided important avenues for explorations of line and space during the 1950s and 1960s. Artists working in these decades also frequently experimented with untested materials and techniques. Irene Rice Pereira used sheets of glass as an alternative to stretched canvases. Beverly Hallam pioneered a new synthetic medium, acrylic paint. Artists often translated personal experience—especially encounters with the natural world—into their paintings. Their interpretations, conveyed in rich fields of color and lyrical brushstrokes, capture the effects of natural phenomena such as light, weather, and seasonal shifts. 12 Alice Trumbull Mason Irene Rice Pereira Born