Identity Unknown: Rediscovering Seven American Women Artists

by Donna Seaman

An award-winning writer rescues seven first-rate twentieth-century women artists from oblivion--their lives fascinating, their artwork a revelation.

Who hasn't wondered where-aside from Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo-all the women artists are? In many art books, they've been marginalized with cold efficiency, summarily dismissed in the captions of group photographs with the phrase "identity unknown" while each male is named.

Donna Seaman brings to dazzling life seven of these forgotten artists, among the best of their Gertrude Abercrombie, with her dark, surreal paintings and friendships with Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins; Bay Area self-portraitist Joan Brown; Ree Morton, with her witty, oddly beautiful constructions; Loïs Mailou Jones of the Harlem Renaissance; Lenore Tawney, who combined weaving and sculpture when art and craft were considered mutually exclusive; Christina Ramberg, whose unsettling works drew on pop culture and advertising; and Louise Nevelson, an art-world superstar in her heyday but omitted from recent surveys of her era.

These women fought to be treated the same as male artists, to be judged by their work, not their gender or appearance. In brilliant, compassionate prose, Seaman reveals what drove them, how they worked, and how they were perceived by others in a world where women were subjects-not makers-of art. Featuring stunning examples of the artists' work, Identity Unknown speaks to all women about their neglected place in history and the challenges they face to be taken as seriously as men no matter what their chosen field-and to all men interested in women's lives.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Feminism, Art History, Womens

480 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2016

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I think this is a case of, it's not the book, it's me. I just didn't gel with the writing style at ALL. Which is very sad, as this is a very important topic. It is important to not discount any group of people, in this case women, from the contributions they made and make to the world, in this case, art.

The women were all amazingly interesting. The creative process, their history, how what they lived through shaped their lives and their art. It was fascinating to read.

What wasn't so fascinating? The copious overuse of adjectives and nouns to describe the artwork and influence on the artists. Seriously, 34 adjectives in a row in one sentence is a bit much. And it happens every other page or so. Editor, where were you?

What I found to be ironic, given the title of the book, was that many of the pictures in the book (of which there were too few for a book discussing artists and their works), had photographer unidentified.

To piggy back off of the pictures thing, I hope the finished copy has more pictures. Because the constant describing of the artwork or photographs was kind of annoying. This is a book about artists and their art. I want to actually SEE what is being discussed in the writing of the book. My imagination isn't bad, but it isn't equal to what was being discussed.

And the last artist was evil. After I got to her saying she used old, rare, beautiful books by ripping the pages out for her own artwork, I skipped past her section and have vowed to never read about her or look at her artwork EVER. Lenore Tawney. Book lovers, be warned.

So, the positives. This book discusses a very important topic, the fact that many women in the art world have been overlooked and forgotten. It makes one think about where others have been dismissed because they weren't white men. No offense white men, but you have been rather hoggish of the spotlight for most things in the past and maybe a smidge nowadays too.

When the author isn't just showing that she knows how to use a thesaurus and isn't attempting to describe a piece of art, the writing grabs the reader. It could be because the subject matter is so engrossing, but six of one, half-a-dozen of the other, it all gets and keeps the reader's attention.

I just couldn't ignore the endless lists of words and the describing of artwork I couldn't see unless I got off of my butt from my comfy reading chair and went into the room with the computer to look up what she was talking about. I just couldn't be bothered. It's COLD where I am right now, and getting up from my cocoon of warm blanket to go through two colder rooms, just to look up a piece of art, wasn't going to happen.

So one star deducted for the endless lists and one deducted due to describing what there were no pictures for. There may be pictures in the finished copy. This was an advanced read. Hopefully the finished copy will have more pictures. The artwork all sounded stunning. I will look it up, just not right now.

Three stars total. Not a bad book, but it didn't really grab me. I think it would probably be more interesting to those who have a serious interest in contemporary/modern female artists. I'm more into Renaissance art myself, so not quite my focus. Not bad, but not in my personal wheelhouse.

[l]

I read the chapter on Gertrude Abercrombie... Seaman's writing is really very strange? She constantly adds this unnecessary commentary - character evaluations - and I wonder what she thinks she's doing. It actually feels fairly misogynistic tbh. I double checked to see if this really was written by a woman.

"Poor, dear, sad, brave Gertrude. She kept her shell so polished, her crown so bright, that her pain remained concealed even when that wasn't her intention"

What is this?

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven forgotten American women artists that were all well-known and respected during their lifetimes, but seem to have been forgotten over time. But their work is just beginning to be rediscovered - museums are digging out their works they've had in storage, recognizing the talent behind the work. The women worked in various mediums, and the book has photos of their work and talks about the goals of the artists and what they were trying to express, using journals the artists made notes in of their work. The artist gets a bit gushy at times over the work of the artists.
I didn't care for some of their work, but that's art. And it doesn't reflect on their talent -just my tastes and preferences.

[Angela]

This one was an absolute treat. I wish I could re-read it a thousand times over.

[Dan Downing · Rating 5 out of 5]

These seven essays on the life and work of artists are the sort of thing we usually find in exhibition catalogs or books featuring the work of a particular artist. The chapters here are a step above the run of the mill product of this type, and with good reason. Ms. Seaman has an agenda and follows it well; she is a fine writer and sensitive critic. What makes reading this book a two-week effort vs. the usual time for a 400 odd page volume is that we now have a supplement to art books: the world wide web.
As unknown as an artist may be---and the seven being discussed here are not very obscure---one can be sure of finding something about them on the internet, barring a search for the summer dauber on the beach.
Before, after and during each chapter I had the pleasure of pulling up dozens, maybe hundreds, of pictures of the art being discussed. Painting, sculpture, fiber work, and the work of the many artists mention in passing require shifting gears frequently.

Highly Recommended*
* Assuming access to the Net. Subtract a Star for refusing to go to the library.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A self-indulgent writer and an impatient reader doth not a happy union make. This book is crying for an editor, but the awkward thing is that it's written by Donna Seaman, an editor, so her editor probably assumed that she knew what she was doing when she wrote it and, therefore, didn't edit it. Because once a book starts to inch towards the 400 page mark (this one logs in at 414), an author might want to ask herself, "Gee, is everything I am writing interesting enough to ask a reader to read over 400 pages?". I can hear her now telling me that she is writing about seven female artists. SEVEN! And, and, they have been forgotten and don't they DESERVE to get all the words that can be give to them?

Seaman gets carried away by seven subjects and by anything related to her subjects. It's a noble thing to try resurrect female artists who fell into obscurity after they achieved great fame, and as I know very little about female artists in general, I was hoping to learn about these seven. All seven had to figure out who to reconcile being a woman and an artist and making a life for themselves. Their struggles with identity, society's expectations, and their needs are important for every women learn about whether or not they are an artist. Women have to make choices on the type of life they want, and as much we are told that we can "have it all", most can't; or, at least, not all at once. All of the artists she writes about grapple with these choices. There is much to learn from them. However, Seaman includes so much necessary information that reading her book is a slog. She includes little biographies of almost everyone else mentioned, and most do not add to her overall meaning; she spent two pages describing another woman who shared similarities with one of the artists, but the two never met and have nothing to do with one another. She follows such whims often. To compound this issue, the writing is choppy and lacks organization and transitions. It's hard to follow and I can't anticipate what's coming up next. She also spends and inordinate amount of time describing paintings (some which are featured in the book) but does not explain the significance of what she is describing. I started scanning these sections.

Her work on Loïs Maillou Jones is her best. It's organized, focused, and only fifty pages. Jones was an African-American painter who faced the double-bind of being both black and a woman. As such she was expected to both represent her sex and her race in her work; I admire her because she defined her own style and altered it over time. She was also a teacher and world traveler, and she took her students overseas. Jones held herself to an exceptionally high standard and her self-respect shines through in the quality of the relationships she had with her peers, her students, her friends, and the global leaders she met. Part of her high standards stemmed from her race; she had to be a cut above everyone else. Her white counterparts (who make up the other six of the book) could live the life of an "artist" with all of its charms and avoid such close scrutiny.

As much as I appreciate Seaman's enthusiasm for her topic, it is a disservice when readers do not want to finish the book. One's own curiosity cannot compensate for copious information.

[Jean Tock · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has compiled an enormous amount of research on the lives of seven lesser known American women artists and has presented their stories in a very descriptive, enjoyable, readable way. I was a bit confused by the inclusion of Louise Nevelson who I think is quite famous, but the other six artists were new to me. Their lives were fascinating to read about and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing samples of their work along with the author’s critiques and explanations (the book has two separate signatures of color plates.) As the jacket copy states, “An award-winning writer rescues seven first-rate twentieth-century women artists from oblivion….” Donna Seaman’s profiles of these women make you feel almost like you know them as a next door neighbor. My only complaint (and the reason for 4 stars and not 5) is the many descriptions of artworks that are not shown in the color plates. The author describes the works admirably but your imagination can only take you so far. When discussing art, I want to see the art; I don’t want to read about a lavender arc cutting through a black background with a hand reaching, etc etc.

[Cyrus Hutton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a big fan of books about artists as you can see from the books I have rated today. However I am not a fan of this book-in large part because of the writing. The book is basically a tribute to adjectives, with little or no discussion of the art created by these women. So, if you are interested in art and artists, skip this one.

[Jes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an inspiring book for artists of all types.
I enjoyed the writing style, but will warn some of you that this isn't a firmly biographical approach. It feels more like a series of expanded booklets you'd find in a gallery featuring the artists' work. For me, this is ideal and gave me just enough to dive in to what's been made available to view online by closed museums and galleries.

[Moira Levine · Rating 1 out of 5]

What was Bloomsbury thinking, publishing this clumsily overwritten, adjective stuffed book? The tone is almost hysterical, the text convoluted, and the substance almost lost in the twisted phrasing. The author, a book reviewer at Booklist, apparently forgot what makes writing clear and interesting. Too bad.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the third book I have read in recent months where the author has tackled a really interesting topic, but doesn't have the writing chops to pull off an interesting book. It's so frustrating.

[Bill Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! I picked it up mainly to read about Christina Ramberg, but found the rest of it quite inspiring. Needless to say there is also an element of sadness in the fact that these women have faded into obscurity for the general public. Seaman needs to turn this into a series.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Attended an author event & enjoyed her enthusiasm for her subjects. An area museum is having an exhibition of women artists who are virtually unknown. If they were male artists, their names would be up in lights.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I waded my way through this book. Got bogged down at times with the extensive listing and description of the artists' work with few photos to reference. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Thank you Goodreads First Reads for my free copy.

[Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun to learn about women artists previous unknown to me, but not in love with writing style

[Betty Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good idea but writing a bit obtuse and too many adjectives!

[Robyn Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Mills College Library]

709.22 S4388 2017

[Kathy Dickman]

A great asset for our Art Department and helpful when they need research on artists.

[Beverly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a great idea-brief bios and critiques of seven recently working women artists who are under recognized and appreciated. But what a balls-up it turned out to be. Donna Seaman compulsively overwrites, never using one adjective or noun when seven would do, and purpling up her prose at every turn. But that's not all. Seaman insists on following every irrelevant tangent such as describing the grand parentage of one artist's teacher or discussing Frida Kahlo for three pages because both Kahlo and Joan Brown (the subject) painted self portraits. And there's more. The illustrations rarely match the discussion, so you are left with only Seaman's fulsome descriptions to imagine the paintings for yourself. The best I could do was skim most of this, and I ended up with little insight into the lives and works of these seven women.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads and Bloomsbury Publishing for a free copy of this book.
Identity Unknown shares the stories of seven female artists, acclaimed in their day but virtually forgotten now:
Louise Nevelson, Gertrude Abercrombie, Lois Mailou Jones, Ree Morton, Joan Brown, Christina Ramberg, and Lenore Tawney.

Their stories are fascinating and inspirational as, not only were they original and daring, they also had to overcome many obstacles due to sexism. Lois Mailou Jones further became adept at "turning adversity into opportunity" as she also had to deal with racial discrimination.

Donna Seaman presents their stories in an interesting manner complementing them with a wealth of information about the culture of the time and significant people in their lives.

I only wish that there could have been more photos and illustrations of their art included. I found myself skimming over the detailed descriptions, especially if I couldn't find a visual copy online.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fills in some of the gaps in our history.

[Jeanie Gallegly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great subject. Horrendously verbose. I understand that the author was trying to thoroughly describe everything but less is more....
I'm surprised at the lack of pictures of the art that was described. Frustrating.
Worth reading but not so fantastic that I'd compulsively share it.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly good book that just didn't stand a chance against all the great novels I happened to pick up while reading it. I like the author's approach of writing informally, not trying to do a rigorous art history/critique or a straight biography. She's done her research but she's not afraid to speculate and tell you when she's going out on a limb. For an art book, though, not nearly enough illustrations.