i read a lot about art as well as women’s places in sub-movements and what not so i wanted to compile a little list of notable books i’ve read about the intersection of those things, in case it interests you at all cause it does me. some of these take on an explicitly feminist perspective while others are more objective and “historical”/ devoid of political introspection- both narratives interest me. (if this seems at all crude or without nuance it’s because i’m just a book store clerk and not an academic, lol) :
Surrealist Women : An International Anthology by Penelope Rosemont - there are several books about women in surrealism, it’s one of the 20th century art movements women had the biggest role in. this one remains my favorite.
Rosemont is responsible for several other great books about surrealism not limited to the context of women, among them: Dreams and Everyday Life: André Breton, Surrealism, Rebel Worker, SDS and the Seven Cities of Cibola and Surrealist Experiences - all great if you’re into that movement.
In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States by several authors (many of which have contributed/ written other great books) - based on an exhibit, many illustrations. a good introduction.
The Reckoning: Women Artists of the New Millennium by several authors - great recent publication compiling a comprehensive studies of contemporary women in art.
Women, Art, and Society by Whitney Chadwick - if you’re at all interested in theories of womanhood as related to art and the “exception to the rule” myth, this is a must read. it’s seminal and great.
Chadwick is also responsible for Women Artists and the Surrealist Movement, some great biographical info. a worthwhile read. Mirror Images: Women, Surrealism, and Self-Representation is another one i fully adore.
i’ve read several good books about the nude in art contexts, not limited to The Nude: a Study in Ideal Form by Kenneth Clark and Sexuality in Western Art by Edward Lucie-Smith but my favorite is The Female Nude: Art, Obscenity and Sexuality by Lynda Nead - amazing book that deconstructs the historical tradition of the female nude- some fantastic analytical conclusions. really great.
The Feminism and Visual Culture Reader by Amelia Jones - an incredibly smart writer whose body of work is well worth getting into- Body Art/ Performing the Subject and the Artist’s Body are both great, she wrote a guide to contemporary art that’s also wonderful
Wet: On Painting, Feminism, and Art Culture by Mira Schor - another writer whom i admire- A Decade of Negative Thinking: Essays on Art, Politics, and Daily Life and M/E/A/N/I/N/G are both amazing
The Guerrilla Girls’ Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art - naturally, there are a few guerilla girls books but this remains the best
Reclaiming Female Agency: Feminist Art History after Postmodernism - this one is so excellent- please read it because it’s comprehensive, spans many time frames, and it pretty “accessible” for an academic text
Danger! Women Artists at Work by Debra N. Mancoff - fun and full of color photos, nice for a coffee table reader or for a broad look at the canon of female work, doesn’t going into the specific histories. Mancoff is an accomplished author of art though- a body of work worth looking through.
A Studio of Her Own: Women Artists in Boston 1870-1940 by Erica E. Hirshler - really interesting, i had no idea boston had such a high concentration of female artist pioneers and such a colorful scene surrounding them. an insightful read
Women, Art, and Power and Other Essays by Linda Nochlin, Nochlin is a revelation- her essays are beyond me. the object is to analyze the ways power structures operate on women in art to appear “ordained and immutable”. her work After the Revolution: Women Who Transformed Contemporary Art is also essential.
Women of the Left Bank and Paris Was a Woman are a little less focused on a visual art historical perspective but are both some of my favorites because i adore portraits of the paris scene in the early 20th century- the women in these groups were incredible, the second takes on a bit of a lesbian/ non het women angle which is great
WACK!: Art and the Feminist Revolution and Power of Feminist Art: The American Movement of the 1970’s History and Impact both divulge into the events of feminist art history in the 70s, something i didn’t know much about but was delighted to learn
recently been reading a lot of feminist film critique, i’ve adored the likes of maya deren (read her collected writings on film it’s so good honestly) and chantal akerman (if you like her work- oh my god- read Nothing Happens- i just finished it the other day and it gave me a new appreciation for her) for awhile so i wanted more perspective, this could probably warrant its own list but here are some notable ones: Situating the Feminist Gaze and Spectatorship in Postwar Cinema by Marcelline Block (who, shit, has a wild body of work to discover), Feminist Film Theory: a Reader by Sue Thornham, Women & Film by E. Ann Caplan, Women’s Experimental Cinema: Critical Frameworks by Robin Blaetz (adore this one), And the Mirror Cracked: Feminist Cinema and Film Theory by Anneke Smelik (in the process of finishing this and enjoying it so far)
(i told you there were a lot of books about surrealist women) Surrealism and Women- i like the format of this one, 16 collected essays, i’m including it because it contains Rudolf Kuenzli (author of Marcel Duchamp: Artist of the Century, a book i love) essay “surrealism and misogyny” which is an interesting as it is truly wild. ahaha
Women of the Beat Generation: The Writers, Artists and Muses at the Heart of a Revolution by Brenda Knight and Girls Who Wore Black are both essential if you’re at all a fan of the american beat movement. again, less visual art focused, but wonderful.
An Encyclopedia of Women Artists of the American West - about as comprehensive and informative as you can get, literally a compiled dictionary of over a thousand female artists from around the 1840s to 1980- amazing and a must have. so much research involved with this project. such an essential resource.
to expand on that: Independent Spirits: Women Painters of the American West, 1890-1945 by Patricia Trenton and Painting Professionals: Women Artists and the Development of Modern American Art, 1870-1930 by Kirsten Swinth are both great books on some of the earlier formations of women’s narratives in art with the United States.
Women of the Avant-Garde 1920-1940 - it might be obvious at this point that i have a particular fondness for the surrealist, dadaist, and general “avant garde” movements, this is one is pretty simple, 8 portraits of key female figures within the scene. i recommend Baroness Elsa: Gender, Dada, and Everyday Modernity by irene gammel (author of several cultural antiquities works with a feminist slant) and The Writings and Speeches of Isadora Duncan as companions
also dadaist women: Dada’s Women by Ruth Hemes and Women in Dada: Essays on Sex, Gender, and Identity by Naomi Sawelson-Gorse are two fun ones, been awhile since i read either but i remember loving both- Sawleson-Gorse contributed to The New Frontier: Art and Television 1960-65 which is a book i like a lot.
Modern Women: Women Artists at The Museum of Modern Art - a look at artists from late nineteenth century to present whose work appears in the MOMA, spans many mediums, a well done marriage of images and essays.
A History of Women Photographers by Naomi Rosenblum - this was different for me because i didn’t know much about photography as a medium, full of gripping perspective, history, and amazing photographs
The Lives of the Muses: Nine Women & the Artists They Inspired by Francine Prose - kind of interesting as a relic of women’s prevalence in art from a wildly different perspective and context
Art and Feminism by Helena Reckitt - valuable resource which spans around four decades of the works and artists informed by feminist theory and perspective.
Women Artists: An Illustrated History by Nancy G. Heller - like some others i have listed, this one is sweeping and more of an encyclopedia/ coffee table of female artists, would be ideal as an entry point
Women Artists in History: From Antiquity to the Present by Wendy Slatkin - enjoyed this because its history dates back farther than some of the others i’ve read. well done but simple, would also serve best as something of an entry point. covers a bit too much to go in depth
Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond - fantastic overlook and contextualization/ insight into the women of impressionism less represented in the canon as a whole
Invisible Women: Forgotten Artists of Florence by Jane Fortune and Women in Italian Renaissance Art: Gender, representation, identity by Paolo Tinagli should be read in tandem, fantastic celebrations of the historically neglected, hugely seminal women artists of italy
Women Artists of the Arts and Crafts Movement, 1870-1914 by Anthea Callen - was hard for me to come by! but i really enjoyed this, good look at women’s role in the movement from both sides of the atlantic. i like callen’s writing
Differencing the Canon: Feminism and the Writing of Art’s Histories by Griselda Pollock - if unpacking art ideas of ‘canon’ and writing and how imposed ideas can shape or alter these traditions is of interest to you definitely read this. i really enjoy pollock’s work- Vision and Difference: Femininity, Feminism and Histories of Art / Looking Back to the Future: 1990-1970 are compelling reads
Japanese Women Artists, 1600-1900 by Patricia Fister - i don’t know a lot about the history of female art narratives in japan, so this one might be a broad- but i really enjoyed it as an introduction into these histories
i’m surely forgetting some- but i hope this was at least a little of interest!
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