LOUISE FISHMAN
About the artist
Louise Fishman (b. 1939, Philadelphia, PA; d. 2021, New York, NY) was a pioneering American artist most known for her tireless exploration of abstraction. Studying at Philadelphia College of Art in the 1960s, Fishman moved to New York shortly thereafter to immerse herself in the active art scene of the time.
Drawing inspiration from her studies of art history, feminist philosophy, and personal experiences, Fishman's work bridged the gap between Abstract Expressionism and a deeply intuitive painting style marked by her unique perspective. Her work was often seen as a response to the male-dominated art world as she explored themes of identity, gender, and cultural heritage. Her subtractive method of mark-making celebrated process and rejected the masculinist impulses of AbEx as she used scrapers, trowels, and traditional brushes to apply and remove dense layers of paint in loose, gestural scores.
"If good painting is what you want to do, then good painting is what you must look at. Take what you want and leave the dreck.”
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS: Karma, New York; Krannert Art Museum, Illinois; Vielmetter, Los Angeles; Locks Gallery, Philadelphia; Cheim & Read, New York; Goya Contemporary, Baltimore; In 2016, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, New York