The essay below examines the female contemporary artists Amy Sillman and Cecily Brown and their artwork. It explores the ideas and techniques they use in their work and relates it to the Abstract Expressionism movement, which is seen as predominately male and focuses on male perspective and gaze. Brown and Sillman’s work use the techniques of Abstract Expressionism to explore and express a female perspective and experience. Their provocative work uses expressive brushstrokes, thick with paint and color; the solid quality of their gestures and lines. They manage to capture the anxieties and ecstasies of being a woman in a world built to suppress their power and creativity.

Image above:

Untitled (Female Forms), 2015.

Oil paint on masonite panel.

4 ft x 4 ft.