Joan Mitchell: Paintings, 1979-1985

(Hardback)

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Discover Joan Mitchell's powerful and dynamic workspotlighted in this book as never before

"An entry for one of the best shows of 2022. . . . Mitchell, then in her 50s, reaches peak form in gathering brushstrokes that flicker and burn like auras on fire." -Jerry Saltz, New York magazine

This highly anticipated publication focuses on the years 1979 to 1985-a significant and deeply generative period within Joan Mitchell's decades-long career. As Mitchell became even more fully immersed in daily life at her property in Vtheuil, France-surrounded by lush gardens, and challenged and inspired by new creative relationships-her studio practice flourished and her work became even more ambitious and expansive. Executed in an increasingly bold palette, the works from this period exemplify Mitchell's nuanced mastery of composition, scale, and color. In addition to her large-scale abstract works, this publication features numerous smaller paintings and a selection of archival materials.

Included in the book are several texts that complement the illustrated works. A new essay by the bestselling author Julie Otsuka recollects her encounters with Mitchell's paintings over the years. A fascinating conversation between Mitchell and the French philosopher Yves Michaud from 1986 is featured. Reflections by the artists Amy Sillman, Shinique Smith, and Lily Stockman each explore a unique component of Mitchell's oeuvre or practice, underscoring Mitchell's continued influence on artists today.

Reviews

"a gifted artist widely celebrated for her outstanding contribution to abstraction"-- "Widewalls"
"she is finally being recognized as a painter of great importance who was long undervalued because of her gender, both in her lifetime and after her death"--Farah Nayeri "The New York Times"
"An entry for one of the best shows of 2022...Mitchell, then in her 50s, reaches peak form in gathering brushstrokes that flicker and burn like auras on fire. Here, she goes all the way into her own secret garden" --Jerry Saltz "Vulture of New York Magazine"
"These works show Mitchell gradually embracing a less-is-more approach...This brought larger, more flowing rhythms to her compositions and a more palpable sense of her physical presence"--Roberta Smith "The New York Times"

Author Bio

Joan Mitchell (1925-1992) established a singular visual vocabulary over the course of her more than four decade career. Born in Chicago and educated at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, from which she received a BFA (1947) and an MFA (1950), Mitchell moved to New York in 1949 and was an active participant in the downtown arts scene. She began splitting her time between Paris and New York in 1955, before moving permanently to France in 1959. In 1968, Mitchell settled in Vtheuil, a small village northwest of Paris, while continuing to exhibit her work throughout the United States and Europe. When Mitchell passed away in 1992, her will specified that a portion of her estate should be used to establish a foundation to directly support visual artists.

Yves Michaud is a French philosopher, writer, and professor emeritus of philosophy at the Sorbonne, Paris.

Julie Otsuka is the award-winning and best-selling author of The Swimmers (2022), The Buddha in the Attic (2012), and When the Emperor Was Divine (2003).

Amy Sillman is a painter and occasional art writer, whose 2020 collection of drawings and selected essays on art, Faux Pas, was published by After 8, Paris. She is represented in New York by Gladstone Gallery.

Shinique Smith is an American artist whose multidisciplinary practice includes painting, sculpture, video, installation, and performance.

Lily Stockman is a Los Angeles-based painter.