art

9 Women @ Nagas

Posted by katelaity on
a horse

In order to restore some order to life, the universe and this blog, I am backtracking to when it all became overwhelming which would be mid-October and yes — ha! — it’s getting on the last part of November, but maybe this week I can endeavour to catch up a little. I do mostly write these things for myself so I can find them again (and to those of you nice enough to drop by). As I negotiate the newest landscape of health care paperwork [thrown off today by an error in my name from NYS that gave me an unpleasant Brazil Buttle/Tuttle spasm] and make endless decisions decisions, a little order would be most welcome.

So back we go to the 9 Women of the 20th Century at Nagas, the small but mighty gallery in NYC. Stephanie and I both enjoyed the exhibit and not just because of perennial faves Leonora and Leonor, and familiar names like Grace Pailthorpe, but for the introduction to new wonders from Pacita Abad, Jennie Lewis, Mary Abbott, Louise Janin and Amaranth Ehrenhalt, whose work is showcased there now through December.

All the different clashing threads of the 20th century ran through the works of these women from spiritualism and Surrealism, Dada and Symbolism, Abstracts and printmaking. The gamut really and all quite fascinating. And this wonderful painting of Colette by Elisabeth Fuss-Amoré:

young woman with head on hand

Of course one of Leonor’s witches, always a delight:

I was captivated by this fascinating drawing by Leonora — a horse, a map, a universe. Drawn when she was in the institution in Santander, so obviously freighted with that experience as well as her lifelong obsession with horses. I could have stared at it for hours. Grateful that Ilian, the gallerist, is both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the art even to those obviously with little but lint in their pockets. Penniless artists like us can fill our eyes without feeling guilty. But I do have fingers crossed this Leonora ends up in a museum so I can visit it often one day. Enjoy a glimpse yourself:

Off to make some art myself as the talismans have been selling at the 20×20 show!