Description

---

Who were the pioneering female painters and who are the best contemporary women painters around today? Highlighting artists from Gentileschi to Kahlo, art historian PL Henderson's new book, Unlocking Women's Art focuses on the female pioneers, visionaries and radicals of the painting medium. On a journey through Western art history and with references to diverse global artists, the fascinating lives of female painters and their artworks are discussed within their often challenging cultural contexts.
In chapters which consider identity, muses and models, the domestic space, the Avant-garde, in addition to war, peace and protest, the world of women who paint is intriguingly unlocked. Why did early female artists ingeniously encode their self-portraits? How did nature as a theme open the doors to a forbidden professional realm? Which female painters shocked the art establishment with their daring portrayals of the nude?
While these and many more interesting subjects are explored, in a similar format to her successful book Unravelling Women's Art, the author ends each chapter with interviews of contemporary, global female painters, allowing absorbing insights into their individual practices. Some of the contemporary artists interviewed include Shani Rhys James, Sungi Mlengeya and Sarah Maple.

About the Author

---

P.L. Henderson was born in the North of England and in her early career entered the field of environmental work. Her skills in music also led to involvement in the creation of music workshops aimed at empowering girls in economically deprived areas. A personal interest in drawing and also cultural histories, during the years bringing up her son, led to a period of part-time study culminating in gaining a BA in Art History through the Open University. Inspired by feminist art theorist pioneers, P.L. Henderson began an investigation of often invisible women artists, which resulted in the creation of the successful and necessary social media project @womensart1 to platform their work. Presently living in Lisbon, Portugal with her partner whilst working as a freelance writer, she regularly contributes to publications such as 'Resurgence & Ecologist' magazine, 'Art UK' and 'Culture Matters' on topics of art, ecology and social justice. Whilst having a case study published in the book 'Feminism and Museums, Intervention, Disruption and Change' (2017), she was also one of the writing team for Phaidon's book 'Great Women Artists' (2019). She is creator/curator of #WOMENSART, see https: //womensartblog.wordpress.com.