New World, New Woman: Willem de Kooning
Description/Abstract/Artist Statement
With Woman I (1950-52), Willem de Kooning radically altered the depiction of the female form by aggressively applying paint and combining figurative and abstract approaches. De Kooning’s contemporaries offered conflicting interpretations of Woman I, attributing the painting to misogyny, the influence of Gertrude Stein, Mexican sculpture and even de Kooning’s femininity. This paper considers the evolution of de Kooning’s craft up to and including Woman I and argues that it is the product of an era of violence and instability. As WWII profoundly changed society, de Kooning re-examined the representation of the female form to reflect the precariousness of the era.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Vittorio Colaizzi
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Disciplines
American Art and Architecture | Modern Art and Architecture
Session Title
Art History 1
Location
Learning Commons @ Perry Library Conference Room 1306
Start Date
2-2-2019 9:00 AM
End Date
2-2-2019 10:00 AM
New World, New Woman: Willem de Kooning
Learning Commons @ Perry Library Conference Room 1306
With Woman I (1950-52), Willem de Kooning radically altered the depiction of the female form by aggressively applying paint and combining figurative and abstract approaches. De Kooning’s contemporaries offered conflicting interpretations of Woman I, attributing the painting to misogyny, the influence of Gertrude Stein, Mexican sculpture and even de Kooning’s femininity. This paper considers the evolution of de Kooning’s craft up to and including Woman I and argues that it is the product of an era of violence and instability. As WWII profoundly changed society, de Kooning re-examined the representation of the female form to reflect the precariousness of the era.