Abstract Expressionism: The Women

A dominant movement in the New York and San Francisco art scenes in the mid-twentieth century, Abstract Expressionism is considered the first major development in American art to achieve international status. Although the movement is often known through the works of male artists - Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning... - many female artists were also part of this generation that changed the course of modern art.

The women featured in this book - including Claire Falkenstein, Perle Fine, Grace Hartigan, Lee Krasner and Joan Mitchell - studied at the same art schools as the men, exhibited in the same galleries and were part of the same social scene.

Based on works from the Levett Collection, an unrivalled private collection of art by female Abstract Expressionists, this catalogue includes essays that explore the role of women in the development of Abstract Expressionism and the work of female sculptors in the movement. The main section of the book is devoted to over 50 paintings, collages and sculptures. An illustrated chronology and 35 artist biographies provide additional insight.