Abstract Expressionist Women Featured

The exhibition, titled "Abstract Expressionists: The Women," showcases nearly 50 paintings by 32 artists, with works spanning from 1936 to 1977. This collection is drawn from the holdings of collector Christian Levett and the Female Artists of the Mougins Museum (FAMM) in France, organized by the American Federation of Arts. Historically, the Abstract Expressionist movement has been defined by male artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. The movement, which emerged in New York after World War II, was often portrayed as a masculine "boys' club," marginalizing the significant contributions of female artists who were working alongside them. Many women artists were relegated to the roles of muses or their identities were tied to their more famous husbands, such as Lee Krasner (married to Jackson Pollock) and Elaine de Kooning (married to Willem de Kooning). Critics and the art establishment of the 1950s often overlooked their work, a bias that exhibitions like this one now seek to correct. The show features celebrated pioneers like Helen Frankenthaler, known for her innovative "soak-stain" technique, and Joan Mitchell, alongside lesser-known figures. It also expands the geographical scope of the movement beyond New York, including artists who worked on the West Coast and in Paris, creating a transcontinental exchange of ideas. This exhibition is part of a larger, ongoing reassessment of art history, following landmark efforts like the Denver Art Museum's 2016 show on the same subject and Mary Gabriel's 2018 book "Ninth Street Women." These efforts have helped bring renewed attention to the powerful and original work of these visionary women.