Women's Art Work: More than 30 Female Artists Who Changed the World

by Sophia Bennett, Manjit Thapp (Illustrations)

Discover the work of female artists who have made their mark on the art world.
 
Women’s Art Work introduces readers to the lives and work of the world’s most renowned artists. With a foreword from Tate’s first female director, Maria Balshaw, this collection celebrates the creativity of women in more than 30 biographies, investigating their practices and exploring their contributions to the art world. Readers will learn about a diverse group of innovators like Frida Kahlo, Cindy Sherman, Ana Mendieta, Lubaina Himid, Cao Fei, and the Guerrilla Girls. From early pioneers to today’s most radical creators, these women have overcome obstacles, broken boundaries, and enriched our understanding of what art is and can be. With a glossary of art terms, a timeline of major milestones, and educational sidebars, this highly illustrated book is perfect for any art lover. Additionally, it features original interviews with living artists—including Yayoi Kusama, Lorna Simpson, and Rachel Whiteread.

Featured artists include:
- Eileen Agar
- Anni Albers
- Louise Bourgeois
- Sonia Boyce
- Claude Cahun
- Judy Chicago
- Tacita Dean
- Tracey Emin
- Cao Fei
- Simryn Gill
- Guerrilla Girls
- Natalia Goncharova
- Anthea Hamilton
- Barbara Hepworth
- Lubaina Himid
- Gwen John
- Joan Jonas
- Frida Kahlo
- Yayoi Kusama
- Agnes Martin
- Ana Mendieta
- Berthe Morisot
- Georgia O'Keeffe
- Paula Rego
- Bridget Riley
- Doris Salcedo
- Cindy Sherman
- Lorna Simpson
- Dayanita Singh
- Gillian Wearing
- Rachel Whiteread
- Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
- Fahrelnissa Zeid

 

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Art Design, History, Childrens, Middle Grade

112 pages, Hardcover

Published March 17, 2020

About the author

My name’s Sophia, and I write about girls discovering their inner power. Sometimes they’re fashion designers, sometimes they’re would-be pop stars and sometimes they’re spies. They’re always a lot braver than they know, and I love it when they finally figure that out.

Since I won the Times/Chicken House competition in 2009 my books have been published around the world, from Germany to Brazil and Japan. When I’m not writing them, I tend to be at home in London with my family, or travelling around the place, talking about writing. (More about that here … ) As a writing teacher, I have been a visiting lecturer in writing for children at City University and City Lit, and a Consultant Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund.

Occasionally, people ask me what my advice would be to aspiring writers. Check out my writing tips page, on my website. Write every day, and rewrite even more. Follow your heart.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the ways I spent my snowed in day. 30 women barely seems to scratch the surface, as they say, but still it was good to see 30 women notated in this very lovely illustrated hardbound book. I like that they added art terms at the back, although it could have been condensed, size-wise, down to fewer pages to maybe put in a couple more artists. The quiz was kind of fun, but again could’ve been condensed smaller for more artists. Nice timeline in the back. Ditto. But still good to see that a book like this is out there.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a start.

I went into this with expectations that not all readers will have. For me, the title suggested something more expansive, but because it is affiliated with the Tate and draws on their collection (lots of YBAs here!), there are significant limitations.

The book allots only 2 pages to artists living pre-19th century, and it privileges women currently practicing (who could provide an interview.) I can see where this is appealing for young readers, but did these artists “change the world” beyond some who were excluded? All of the women in this book deserve to be celebrated, no doubt, but precocious readers or completists would be smart to supplement this by skimming the ‘Women Artists: 1550-1950’ catalog (though, presumably, there are books out there for young readers that fill in the gaps here?)

[Julieann Wielga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women's Art Work: More than 30 Female Artists Who Changed the World is written by Sophia Bennett and illustrated by Manjit Thapp.
I am learning a lot from this book. It turns out I know very little about women artists except for the big names. The woman artists who are in this book are from all over the world, do incredible art and were, for the most part, unknown to me.
I also like the illustrations.

I wish I had about 15 nieces. I would give this book to each one of them.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked learning about all the different artists, many of whom I was completely ignorant of, and some whose work I recognized (and the precious few I was familiar with). But I thought the format didn't do it any favors; each artist got only one rather small picture of her work, and the doodles around the edges didn't vary much to give the impression of the artists. Many living artists were interviewed and it was fun to see their responses, but the cursive font of the questions put me off.

The intermissions to look at random questions didn't really add much, and the quiz at the end was more trivia than interesting aspects of the artist. But there were a large variety of kinds and types of artists as well as a good discussion on how they changed the art world and overall how the art world struggles to accept women as full participants.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography is an introduction to over 30 female artists who have overcome challenges to excel in the art field. It is colorful and vibrant but can feel a bit cluttered rather than engaging. There are pictures of the artist and/or their works on the page about that person as well as basic background information; there is not space to be comprehensive. There are a few interviews included with artists who are currently living; a map of museums around the world showcasing works by these artists; a quiz about the artists; a glossary of art terms, a timeline, collection, copyright, and photo credits; a list of suggested websites; and a selected bibliography.
It is a good place to start. It has artists I had not heard of before. It's a browsing sort of book.

[Keyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very superficial look at a lot of women artists.
I think this book is a great first look at a lot of artists and it was a excellent coffee table book which is what I wanted from it.
If you want a deep dive into different artists then this is not for you. It works best at giving you a small introduction to different people and then you can further research them if interested.

Checked out as part of a series of books from the library to use as coffee table books monthly.

[Vicki Wellspring · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this art history book. So clear, so exciting. I really like how longer 1-2 pg long biographies are broken up by sections featuring several supporting players - curators, critics, historians, muses, even museums, schools and job possibilities. A great art history book for young people, and everyone really.

[Susan T · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

[Beckyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring. I will need to read more about many of these artists.

[Jeimy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely book! I love the two-page spreads and ended up learning about a few female artists that were previously unknown to me.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was introduced to some artists that I had never heard of before which is great... I would have liked to see more of their original artwork.

[Adriana (Mea) Gutierrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book solely, because I enjoy Manjtt Thapp's artwork and I thought it would a perfect coffee table book.

It was very colorful and bright, but I wish it had a little more detail and meat. It seems like they only did a school projects worth amount of research. There is also not many of the actual artist's work they talked about work which would seem essential for an art book. These factors made reading the book a little disappointing

This would better serve as a present for a budding young artist (12 years old or so). If you are actually trying to learn about "Women Who Changed the Art World" in detail this is probably not the book for you.

Although I will say it does cute on my coffee table!