Women's Art Wednesday

There is something that always stands out just a little extra about printmaking. The pieces are often as intricate as the process of making them, and the work by today’s featured artist is no different. Today on WAW, it’s printmaker Blanche Grambs.

Grambs was an illustrator and printmaker born in 1916. She became a notable New Deal Era artist who depicted the struggles of everyday people. She created most of her works in the 1930s when she depicted difficulties facing the American public during The Great Depression. Her subjects often featured individuals experiencing homelessness, industrial workers, miners, and those without jobs. She eventually became an artist under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a project launched by the American government to stimulate the economy and provide jobs for artists. While many WPA artists glorified American industrial work in their pieces, Grambs's work stands apart, commonly highlighting the dangers and exhaustion laborers faced on the job.

Grambs left the WPA in the 1940s and stopped producing socially charged prints altogether. She made a career shift to work as a fashion illustrator for Woman’s Day magazine before eventually transitioning into book-illustrating in the 1950s/60s. Grambs was a multi-talented artist who created work that reflected many facets of life and society through intricate and evocative pieces.

We’re taking it way back to the 1600s today with an artist who is not well-known in history but certainly made her mark during her lifetime! It’s oil painter Isabel de Cisneros. Isabel de Cisneros–sometimes referred to by the name Isabel de Santiago, though she preferred her mother’s maiden name of Cisneros–was a Spanish colonial painter, born in 1666, who lived and worked in Ecuador. Like many women artists before the modern age, Cisneros kicked off her artistic training by studying in a workshop operated by her father. Due to restrictions on women’s formal education in the 1600s many women, Cisneros included, could only receive access to art training through a male relative. Despite these obstacles, Cisneros proved a quick study and became a prolific painter, most commonly depicting images of the Madonna and Child, or portraits of prominent nuns. As is the case for many women artists of this time period, not much is known about Cisneros’s life, though scholars speculate that she carried out a long career thanks to records showing she earned commissions for both the Catholic church and private residences. What’s more, Cisneros likely completed more works than she is officially credited with. Historians have discovered a number of pieces credited to her father, Miguel de Santiago, were actually completed after his death and therefore most likely completed by Cisneros. Isabel de Cisneros’s work is ethereal, mysterious, and undeniably skillful–we hope you enjoy.

The term ~La Belle Epoch~ literally translates to “the beautiful age.” Most commonly, it describes a period of exceptional peace and prosperity in European (and mostly French) history following the Franco-Prussian War, from about 1971-1914. Enter today’s feature, Julia Codesido. The Peruvian-born Codesido was exposed to “La Belle Epoque” when she traveled alongside her father throughout Europe as a teenager around the year of 1900. During her travels she became enamored with art and began her first formal apprenticeship while she was abroad. Upon returning to Peru she attended the National School of Fine Arts of Peru as a painter. In the early 1920s, she became a leader of the indigenous painting movement. Through this movement artists demonstrated the impact and influence of indigenous people in Peruvian culture and the national identity. The movement, often referred to as Indigenismo, rejected European trends–something Codesido proved well-equipped to do given her familiarity with European influence in art and culture. Indigenismo also sought to reject wealthy land-owners in Lima and pushed to reclaim Incan identity in modern society. Codesido was also a feminist activist and educator, who used her artwork to redefine artistic standards around women and the depiction of n**e women. Codesido was a talented artist with a global perspective who used her work to help define the world she wanted to live in.

While we love pretty much all art here on WAW, we have to admit there’s something extra special about murals. Murals decorate the spaces we inhabit every day with artistic thought and connection, and bring cultural movements through visual art into the community. Today’s artist did exactly that during her career as a teacher and realist painter–we give you the phenomenal Aurora Reyes!

Reyes, born in Mexico in 1908 was a writer, teacher, and painter, and is known in the history books for being Mexico’s first woman muralist. Like Frida Kahlo, Reyes was born around the time of the Mexican Revolution. Facing the unrest, Reyes and her family eventually fled Chihuahua. Intent on pursuing art, she went on to study at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes, impressively completing her formal training by the age of 16. Reyes created book illustrations, public murals and private commissions. Most of her work was connected to social and political concerns, primarily around education and women’s rights. Throughout the majority of her life, Reyes was a public school teacher. She eventually joined the Liga of Escritores (league of writers) and Artistas Revolucionarios (revolutionary artists), situating her among prominent movements both artistically and culturally. These groups influenced her activism, leading her to a role as a union leader and beginning many of the women’s movements in Mexico. Reyes was a fantastic artist who left a mark on not only many canvases and walls, but also history.

Today we’re talking about an artist who emphasizes community, social commentary, and life in the United States with dazzling unique multi-media pieces. We give you contemporary artist Margarita Cabrera. Cabrera was born in Mexico in 1973, and relocated to the United States at the age of 10 with her family. During her education she became interested in art and passionate about engaging with social justice and activism. Cabrera’s pieces are known for focusing on issues of impacting community, the Mexican-American experience, and the experiences of labor workers. Cabrera dabbles in textiles, sculptures, 2-dimensional images, and often engages members of the community to directly contribute to her work. One of her most well-known pieces Árbol de la Vida: Memorias y Voces de la Tierra (image 3) is a tree sculpture sporting 700 hand-made individual branches, constructed with clay by Cabrera and members of the San Antonio community. Cabrera’s work is poignant, striking, and made with intentionality and care. Please scroll and enjoy the works of this fantastic contemporary artist!

When we think of the most beloved art styles in history, Impressionism is without a doubt at the top of the list. The loose, flowing brushstrokes and scenes of picturesque (usually French) life characterizing the movement have remained standout favorites for over a century. While Impressionism came around in France at a time when women were not allowed to formally study art–and therefore generally unable to pursue successful professional careers and participate in important cultural movements–the Impressionist style existed outside of the institution. This new and “avant garde” method allowed for some women to pursue the style and become significant and successful players in the Impressionist movement. Enter today’s WAW feature, the talented Eva Gonzalès.

Though women were not allowed to study at the Parisian art academy (essentially the governors of art careers in France) Gonzalès took women-only art classes with an artist named Charles Chaplin at the age of 16, having been exposed to literary and art circles from an early age. Eventually, she met a little-old-fella you may have heard of by the name of Édouard Manet. Gonzalès became Manet’s student and model, and operated as his only official student. Pieces by Gonzalès and Manet share many similar characteristics and show their close collaboration working in some of the most popular styles of the time that endure as favorites today. While we categorize her work as Impressionism, Gonzales and Manet did not exhibit their work with other Impressionist artists but rather at the Salon, often to great and popular effect. Gonzalès’s work is known for portraying modern life, which was a relatively new concept for art in the 1800s. Viewers loved her ability to capture moments in time, and “impressions” of experiences of modern city dwellers. Gonzalès’s talent shines in her works that exist as emblematic masterworks of the Impressionist style. Tragically, Gonzalès lived a short life and died due to complications during childbirth at the age of 34. Her collection of around 90 pieces remain beloved today.

Today we’re talking about a 20th-century painter with an eye for fashion – it’s Gertrude Abercrombie! Abercrombie came by her interest in the arts naturally, growing up with both her parents holding careers as opera singers. During her formal education she studied Romance languages and figure drawing. She eventually landed a job drawing gloves for Mesirow Department Store ads and working as an artist for Sears. From there, she transitioned into painting by joining art fairs in Chicago, becoming known as a painter for the Works Progress Administration and the Chicago Society of Artists. Abercrombie is remembered for her landscapes, self-portraits, and still-lifes inspired by the Surrealist movement (and you know we’ll never pass up on opportunity to talk Surrealists.) Abercrombie’s art shows skill with the art movements of her time and embodies an era when multiple styles reflected society's ideals. Her paintings focus on both realism and dreams, often including objects that she identified with herself like cats and brooms–and you know we love all the witchy vibes that implies. Abercrombie’s work shows a unique blend of popular styles, and serves as a reminder that no one and nothing is just “one thing.” Please scroll through and enjoy the work of Gertrude Abercrombie!

Raise your hand if you knew there were once art competitions at the Olympic Games? 🙋‍♀️ In 1948, Letitia Marion Hamilton won a bronze medal at the London Olympic Games for the oils and watercolors art competition. (You can see that winning piece in the first slide!) Hamilton hailed from a family of artists—many of them women—including her great-grandmother, aunt, and cousins. She studied at the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art where she showed interest in Art Nouveau. Her first exhibit was in 1902, where she exhibited more than 200 paintings at the Royal Hibernian Academy. She was also a founding member of the Society of Dublin Painters. 

At the London 1948 Summer Olympics, there were 5 categories of art: architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture. All works were inspired by sport-related themes. The art was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, displaying works from 27 different countries. 1948 was the final year that the Olympics included art competitions since they begun including the. in 1912. Following the London games, it was decided to just hold art exhibitions rather than competitions in the future. So as we watch women around the world continue to make history at the Olympics this month, here’s to a woman artist who is part of their ranks. 🥰🏅

Hey hey, happy WAW. Today we are talking about an artist who doesn’t shy away from the hard topics and redefines mediums as well as icons–it’s Dotty Attie! The beloved Attie is a feminist artist known for re-imagining well-known pieces of media. Her redesigns cover a wide range of iconic imagery, including famous paintings, photography, and even film stills. In her re-imagined world of art history, Attie takes the works of famous artists such as Vermeer and Caravaggio, copies the painting, but hyper-focuses on the sitter. Her approach creates a dynamic narrative about the subject, often depicting them in disarray. This portrayal shows the subject as inherently more human than object, where the paintings' original styles tend to objectify the sitter. Attie is also known for examining themes of American sentimentality and contrasting Americana nostalgia with harsher realities of American culture. Attie does not shy away from the difficult topics in her work and uses imagery to explore the dichotomies of modern life. Of her work she says, ‘my work is really about our secret selves, the parts of ourselves that we don’t really share with anybody else.’ Dotty Attie has earned acclaim throughout her career for her poignant and well-crafted work. Please scroll and enjoy another week’s worth of fantastic work by a woman artist.

If you take the time today to swing by the Art Institute of Chicago, you’ll be in luck to see a current exhibition called “Christina Ramberg: A Retrospective.” The show focuses on the short but exceptional artistic career of Christina Ramberg, featuring a staggering 100 works. Ramberg is known for her fragmented depictions of female bodies, focusing on figural elements of clothing, and garments, often focused on the torso area. While the paintings concentrate on different women’s body types, Ramberg questioned gender presentation and society’s idealization of body types. The show also includes some quilts that she experimented with in the 1980s and her final paintings that had more of a dark geometric abstraction, again, focusing on the torso. The show also includes her sketchbooks and her “informal archive of ephemera” which allows viewers to understand her artistic practice and what inspired her to create the paintings. Ramberg’s pieces are stark, often monochromatic, and refuse to let the viewer look away. Ramberg tragically passed away in 1995 from frontotemporal dementia at the young age of 49, but her artwork continues to speak to audiences and draw praise today. Those of you in the Chicago area, don’t miss this phenomenal exhibition on a woman artist!

Today we’re taking a step into the three-dimensional, with the work of one magnificent potter. Magdalene A. N. Odundo DBE is a contemporary potter from Kenya. Her pieces are symbolic, visually interesting, and built on a foundation of global pottery skill and knowledge. So without further ado, let’s talk about this phenomenal ceramic artist!
Odundo received an education at Kabete National Polytechnic in Kenya and at the Cambridge School of Art. She worked for a time in Britain, but often returned to Kenya and Nigeria to study millennia-old hand-building and low-firing pottery techniques. Odundo also deepened her knowledge of the medium by taking trips to New Mexico to study the polished blackware pottery of the esteemed San Ildefonso Pueblo potters. Historically women primarily created pottery in Africa–and in many parts of the world for that matter–and Obundo honors those traditions through metaphorical references to the female body in her pieces. Her work is not meant for utilization but rather as vessels of pure form and color. In Odundo’s work, the physical form of the human body, particularly the female body, and the form of the piece are inextricably linked. Odundo’s work shows a skill over the medium and an attention to some of the most meticulous and well-regarded techniques pottery has to offer.

Today we’re talking about a 19th-century Bohemian trendsetter unparalleled in the art of serving up the moody vibes. It’s painter Romaine Brooks!
Romaine Brooks launched her painting career in the 19th century, and her early works became quickly known for their muted color palette of black, white, and gray. Brooks displayed her work in her first Parisian exhibition in 1910, a moment truly defining her career when many art critics in attendance compared her reclining n**e to the likes of famous (and at the time, popular) artists Francisco Goya and Edouard Manet. Brooks is known for trendsetting all on her own and creating works diverting in their style from the time’s contemporary art movements. She was herself known for her androgynous appearance, challenging the status quo of women’s attire in the 1920s, and enjoying an unconventional Bohemian lifestyle in Paris. (Which is really the dream, isn’t it?) Her art continues to empower women and gender studies to this day, and saw a revival in popularity in the 1980s during the first wave of feminist art history. Brooks broke down stereotypes through her larger-than-life persona and ability to take control of the narrative of women in art by depicting n**e women without the aspect of the male gaze, and her work left an undeniable mark on art history and feminist theory.

Today on WAW we are featuring an artist with ties to some of the most prominent art movements of the twentieth century–it’s painter Gwendolyn Knight! Knight was born in Barbados, West Indies, but moved to the US with her foster family at the young age of 7. Knight painted throughout her life and, upon moving to New York City with her family as a teenager, became very influenced by the modern artwork of the Harlem Renaissance. There she graduated high school and began studying fine art at the prestigious Howard University in 1931. Sadly, Knight had to quit her studies at Howard in 1933 due to the difficulties of the Great Depression. This did not impact her artistic creation though, as she moved to Harlem and had the wonderful opportunity to study with another giant in art history, Augusta Savage. Knight loved creating oil paintings of her friends, studies of dancers, and dabbling in watercolor landscapes. Knight created paintings with bright colors and figural compositions of her personal experiences that connected to her West African heritage. She was also known for experimenting with prints, etchings, and lyrical sketches–AKA, a woman of many talents, which you know we love here on WAW. She traveled around the US and Nigeria throughout her career, where she learned different art techniques and created a stylistic blend all her own. In 1971, she began teaching at the University of Washington School of Art. Shortly after, the Seattle Art Museum exhibited Knight’s first solo exhibition which turned into shows around the country. Knight was a life-long painter who contributed to a number of prominent art movements and groups, and we never get tired of looking through her lively pieces. Please give it up for this impressive artist and career!

There is something just so gripping in the work of today’s feature. Her photographs are striking, thoughtful, and showcase individuals and their reality, defying more polished and posed standards of 20th-century photography. Without further ado, it’s Diane Arbus! Arbus, a photographer known for capturing her subjects as humans rather than objects, was born in New York in 1923. Arbus was born into a wealthy family and pursued artistic endeavors from an early age. She eventually picked up the camera, and started operating a successful corporate photography business with her husband contributing to publications like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. The corporate life eventually lost its luster for Arbus, and she turned her camera to the streets of New York City to capture the lives and personalities of everyday folks. Arbus befriended her subjects, often photographing them in their own spaces. She was known for capturing those who were pushing the boundaries of their identity and living outside of the status quo. Her work is noted for the intimacy and reverence she brings to her subjects, who were most often just regular people depicted in a medium traditionally used to emphasize “importance.” The images are unique, salient, and eye-catching. We hope you enjoy the work of this one-of-a-kind photographer!

Hello hello! Today’s WAW is coming in a little heavy, featuring a woman artist from nineteenth-century England who focused on the hardships faced by women and children in Victorian society. Emily Mary Osborn was a genre painter (i.e., a painter who depicts scenes of every-day life, rather than scenes from history or mythology) living in the UK. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to pursue art in a professional manner. With this encouragement, Osborn quickly started attending classes at the Dickenson Academy in London. At 17 Osborn was invited to show her work at the Royal Academy annual exhibition and continuously did so in the following decades. The Royal Academy did not admit women as pupils until 1860, but Osborne was allowed to sell her work in the annual exhibits. Nameless and Friendless (1857) is one of her most renowned paintings, as she depicts the hardships women artists faced during this period being taken seriously in a setting that did not value their contributions. Her paintings are stark, melancholy, and show a skill over the prominent art movements of the time as the art world pivoted away from history painting and moved for more realistic subject matter.

Hey hey and happy WAW. The WAW team recently took a trip to Sweden (you know we love us some ABBA) and had the unique opportunity to explore work by Swedish women artists in history. One stand out fav was the talented Ester Almqvist, (1869-1934) who is known today as a pioneer of modern art in Sweden. Almqvist’s early work adopts the much-loved Impressionist style, which took a distinctly melancholy feel in her work. She later transitioned her work to a Post-Impressionist and Expressionist style (adopting more fantastical colors and shapes than her earlier works), showing her up-to-date connection with global art movements happening during her career. Like many women artists, Almqvist didn’t receive full recognition for her skill until after her death, although a number of other prominent women artists in Sweden worked to promote her work toward the end of her life and strengthen her legacy in years after. Almqvist spent her life creating art and following modern trends, and established herself as an early (and skillful!) voice of modern painting in her region. 😍

Today we’re going big here on WAW with the installations of contemporary artist, Shadia Alem. Alem is a notable artist from Saudi Arabia whose work often touches upon women and the lack of women's representation in art around the world and in her home country. She started as a painter but expanded into her surrounding space with installation. She always uses her city as a way to reflect on the world and how the world reflects on her city. She is known for her installation, The Black Arch, which was featured in the Venice Biennale in 2011. The installation was in fact the the first time the country of Saudia Arabia was featured in the show, which is one of the most significant contemporary art shows in the world. Shadia Alem created this work alongside her sister, Raja Alem, who is a writer. The work is moving, and by nature of its large installation, demands to be seen. We hope you enjoy!

“The camera is not the obstacle, it is one’s self!” –Kati Horna
Kati Horna (1912-2000) was a 20th-century photographer known for using the medium to express a global perspective, and is yet another artist whose life charts a tumultuous century in Europe. Horna, born in Hungary, fled several separate political conflicts during her career, which began when she moved to Berlin to pursue a degree in politics. She was eventually forced to leave Germany when Hi**er rose to power, and returned to Budapest before moving to Paris in 1933. While in France she photographed bustling scenes like Parisian flea markets with an eye to capture the complexities of urban life which fascinated her. During the Spanish Civil War she turned her camera to activism and moved to Spain to capture images of women and children dealing with the war and the worker’s revolution. Horna also worked as a photojournalist for the feminist journal Mujeres Libres while covering events in Spain. She was once again uprooted with the outbreak of WWII, this time relocating to Mexico City. There, she lived among other European exiled artists, including two of WAW’s fav babes, Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo. Perhaps because of her exposure to prominent Surrealist artists like Carrington and Varo, Horna herself began to dabble with surreal features in her work. She used the technique of “superimposition” to create a images of dismembered doll bodies reminiscent of other Surrealist works examining the body and, in particular, the female body. (Okay, we admit it, these ones are a little terrifying.) Horna’s dip into Surrealist styles is hardly surprising given her career-long political and social consciousness, as the Surrealist movement itself sought to question traditional systems of power and the way we interpret reality and social constructs. While the influence is certainly there, Horna herself never fully identified as a “Surrealist artist” and continued her work as a photojournalist as well as a creative artist, and worked for various publications while living in Mexico City. Horna’s work captures the many roles of photography as a medium for both creativity and exposure of real-world events.