Women of Atelier 17: Modernist Printmaking in Midcentury New York

Christina Weyl's book explores the experimental New York print studio Atelier 17, highlighting the women whose work defied gender norms and advanced modernism and feminism in the 1940s and 1950s. The studio operated as an egalitarian laboratory, facilitating women artists' engagement with modernist styles and inspiring feminist collective action. It also identifies nearly 100 women who worked at the studio.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 04 June 2019
Publisher: Yale University Press

Atelier 17, an experimental print studio in New York, is the subject of Christina Weyl's timely reexamination in this book. Through innovative aesthetic forms and techniques, the women whose work was featured at Atelier 17 challenged gender norms and made significant contributions to modernism and feminism in the 1940s and 1950s. Weyl focuses on eight artists who pushed the boundaries of printmaking: Louise Bourgeois, Minna Citron, Worden Day, Dorothy Dehner, Sue Fuller, Alice Trumbull Mason, Louise Nevelson, and Anne Ryan. These artists defied technical conventions with their etchings, engravings, and woodcuts, creating new aesthetic territories. Atelier 17 operated as an exceptionally egalitarian laboratory, revolutionizing print technique, style, and scale. It provided a platform for women artists to engage with modernist styles, leading to extraordinary achievements that shaped postwar sculpture, fiber art, neo-Dadaism, and the Pattern and Decoration movement. The studio also fostered solidarity among women pursuing modernist forms of expression, inspiring feminist collective action in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Women of Atelier 17 is not only a celebration of the artists who worked at the studio but also a revelation of the nearly 100 women who were involved in its operations, many of whom were previously unknown. The book offers insightful illustrated biographies of selected artists, providing a deeper understanding of their contributions and impact.
In conclusion, Christina Weyl's book offers a valuable perspective on the experimental New York print studio Atelier 17 and the women whose work there defied gender norms and advanced modernism and feminism. Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, The Women of Atelier 17 sheds light on the studio's significant contributions to the art world and its impact on feminist collective action. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in art history, gender studies, and the evolution of modernism.

Weight: 1256g
Dimension: 260 x 210 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300238501