It is said that the future is female, and one can only hope … the past, through continuous excavation, is becoming more female all the time. – Roberta Smith, art critic (2021)
Abstract Expressionism, the art movement born in the energetic post-World War II New York art scene, has long been the domain of icons like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko. Their work, bursting with authentic emotion with their liberated form, became synonymous with the expressive spirit of the mid-twentieth century post-war era. However, this history neglects a substantial cohort of female artists. Therefore, Helen Frankenthaler’s recent exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi in Italy is more than just a retrospective; it’s a progressive narrative reminding us that the art world has a long history of confinement within the rigid perimeters of its male-dominated past.
“Painting Without Rules” is a comprehensive reevaluation of Frankenthaler’s contributions, placing her acrylic and oil innovations in direct conversation with the masterpieces of Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and other icons of Abstract Expressionism – including Robert Motherwell, who was Frankenthaler’s husband between 1958 and 1971.
The show is Italy’s most extensive on Frankenthaler, featuring select paintings and sculptures. Her works, characterized by sweeping colors and seamless canvases, invite viewers into the immersive world of chromatic juxtapositions and sensory experiences. Frankenthaler’s work marked a revolutionary step in the evolution of post-war art. Frankenthaler pushed the envelope by devising novel techniques such as the revolutionary soak-stain method, which laid the groundwork for the “Color Field” painting. This technique not only diversified the art movement palette but also reinforced the pivotal shift towards a more personalized attitude to abstraction.

Evolution Toward Inclusivity and Accuracy in Abstract Expressionism History
From Jackson Pollock’s drizzled paint and splatters to Willem de Kooning’s motion-compounding compositions, we have mostly experienced Abstract Expressionism through a male-centric prism. While women had undeniable contributions to the movement, the historical narrative has largely sidelined them. Until lately, this exclusion has left a crucial portion of the story untold.
Last year, London’s Whitechapel Gallery showcased around 80 female artists from across the globe, aiming to challenge the predominantly male narrative of Abstract Expressionism. The exhibition, titled “Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-70” revisited the late 1940s in New York to underscore that the female artists of the time were not mere footnotes but brought a unique perspective and dazzling palettes to the movement. The gallery featured artists like Janet Sobel, who influenced Pollock, and Elaine de Kooning, who worked alongside her husband.
The exhibition was arranged thematically, not chronologically, to draw unexpected connections among global artists who gravitated towards gestural abstraction post-World War II. Despite increasing initiatives, many female artists from that era remain underrepresented; the exhibition sought to address this imbalance. Feminist art historian Griselda Pollock argues such shows are essential to enrich the understanding of female contributions to modern art.

The Often-Overlooked Legacies of Women in Abstract Expressionism
Remarkable women artists played pivotal roles in shaping the identity of the Abstract Expressionism movement. These women, eclipsed in historical narratives by their male counterparts, brought innovative techniques and fresh perspectives.
Figures like Lee Krasner, whose works embody a vigorous exploration of both form and color, confronted and expanded the movement’s boundaries. Few realize that before she married the iconic Pollock in 1945, she had an established art career of her own. In fact, she introduced her husband to other influential artists and critics such as Willem de Kooning and Clement Greenberg. Many believe that the “all-over” technique that Krasner helped devise ultimately influenced Pollock’s drip paintings. Krasner, known for integrating powerful gestural strokes and vivid hues, would break through the era’s gender barriers and emerge from the shadows cast by her famous husband. In 1984, she earned a posthumous revision of her legacy substantially marked by her solo retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art.
Elaine de Kooning was another female artist whose celebrated artist husband, Willem de Kooning, eclipsed her achievements due to the predominantly male-dominated nature of the New York art scene and a post-war political and cultural conservatism. Elaine’s work was characterized by dynamic brushstrokes, vibrant colors, and a sense of spontaneity. Maintaining an interest in figurative elements, she would also often blend abstraction with representational forms. Elaine was also an influential art critic and writer, contributing extensively to art journals and magazines. As an articulate writer and advocate for the Abstract Expressionism movement, she was instrumental in promoting Willem’s work. While Elaine demonstrated a supportive and collaborative role in advancing Willem’s career, she had independent pursuits, maintaining her distinct identity and exploring her own artistic interests.

Significant contributors to the recognition and inclusion of women in the Abstract Expressionism movement included Mary Abbott, Jay DeFeo, Perle Fine, and Sonia Gechtoff. Abbott’s work is characterized by its vibrant and spontaneous brushwork. Beyond painting, she was also a model and part of the New York School, which included legendary artists like de Kooning and Rothko. DeFeo, who was also a skilled photographer and jewelry designer, would become most famous for her work “The Rose.” Fine was not only an Abstract Expressionist painter but also explored geometric abstraction and was also part of the New York School. Gechtoff was known for her innovative use of line and gestural techniques and large-scale compositions that conveyed a sense of movement and emotional intensity.
Other female artists in the movement include Deborah Remington, who studied under another prominent Abstract Expressionist painter Clyfoord Still, Judith Godwin, and Ethel Schwabacher. Remington’s bold, geometric works stood apart in a genre often dominated by loose and expressive brushwork. Godwin, who was heavily influenced by her background in dance, expressed a sense of movement and rhythm in her paintings. Schwabacher incorporated motifs from mythology and psychoanalysis and often integrated dream-like imagery and symbolism into her abstract pieces to convey emotional and intellectual intensity. Joan Mitchell was one of the few women to gain prominence in the predominantly male Abstract Expressionist movement. She was renowned for her dynamic blending of bright and varied hues, creating emotional depth and complexity. Noted for their gestural brushwork, Mitchell’s work embodied the vigorous energy and intensity associated with the movement.

An Overdue Reassessment of History
In 1951, the 9th Street Art Exhibition would become the first major showcase of the Abstract Expressionist movement. The exhibition was organized by the artists themselves, rather than through galleries or institutions — giving them collective control over how their innovation and experimentation was presented. The event was unlike many exhibitions of its time, demonstrating inclusive participation and gender diversity, as it featured female artists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, Elaine de Kooning, and Perle Fine. However, it would still take decades for these female artists to gain their much-deserved recognition and instrumental association with the movement, falling into the shadows of their male counterparts.
Hartigan’s work is known today for its dynamic energy and combination of abstract forms with recognizable imagery. However, Hartigan, in the early stages of her career, often used the pseudonym “George Hartigan” to circumvent the gender biases prevalent in those times.
Today, in venues across the globe, exhibitions are determined to rewrite Abstract Expressionism’s history, recalibrating the narrative. Women of the Abstract Expressionist movement were not merely followers and supporters; they were collaborators and innovators.
The Mulvane Art Museum in Topeka, Kansas, is showcasing an exhibition titled “Women of Abstract Expressionism,” featuring works from Rita Blitt alongside renowned female artists such as Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, and Joan Mitchell. Their legacies inspire new generations in an art world where gender is no longer a barrier to acknowledgment and success — underscoring that we have reached a point where female artists no longer need to navigate a male-dominated environment masked behind a pseudonym.
“Helen Frankenthaler: Painting Without Rules” will be on view from September 27, 2024 through January 26, 2025. “Women of Abstract Expressionism” is available until February 2025.