Overview

Exploring the art and life of this important American artist whose work bridged the gaps between abstraction, feminism, and Blackness Howardena Pindell: Reclaiming Abstraction examines the multifaceted career of artist, activist, curator, and writer Howardena Pindell (b. 1943). It highlights her abstract practice from the late 1960s through the early 1980s—a period in which debates about Black Power, feminism, and modernist abstraction intersected in uniquely contentious yet generative ways. Sarah Louise Cowan not only asserts Pindell’s rightful place within the canon but also recenters the canon to reveal the profound and overlooked roles that Black women artists have played in shaping modernist abstraction. Pindell’s career acts as a springboard for a broader study of how artists have responded during periods of heightened social activism. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Pindell held that abstraction could convey political urgency. With works that drew on Ghanaian textiles, administrative labor, cosmetics, and postminimalism, Pindell deployed abstraction in deeply personal ways that resonated with collective African diasporic and women’s practices. Cowan argues that such work advanced Black feminist modernisms, diverse creative practices that unsettle racist and sexist logics.

Full Product Details

9780300264296

Table of Contents

Reviews

Cowan's focus on the influence of Africa and African textiles on Howardena Pindell's work and her convincing presentation of abstraction as politically meaningful make this book entirely unique. -Lisa Farrington, Howard University Cowan creates an important and compelling analysis of the life and career of a grossly understudied American artist. This book has the potential to change the way we understand Howardena Pindell. -Jordana Moore Saggese, University of Maryland

Author Information

Sarah Louise Cowan is assistant professor of art and art history at DePauw University.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available