The Women of Cercle et Carré

Alexandra Exter, Costume Design for "Aelita", 1924, Courtesy of the Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Museum purchase with funds provided by the Collectors of the Georgia Museum of Art and Board of Advisors.

The abstract artist group Cercle et Carré saw the rise of famous artists such as Pierre Daura, Piet Mondrian, and Wassily Kandinsky. However, outside of the spotlight were the women who completed the Cercle et Carré group and continued the ongoing fight for women’s equality in the art world. Artists such as Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Alexandra Exter, and Sonia Delaunay were among these women. They argued that female voices were suppressed in the art world, and even within the Cercle et Carré group, despite its inclusive nature. Even though their voices were suppressed in comparison to their male contemporaries, these women made strides in the world of abstract art that are still felt today. Sophie Taeuber-Arp was the first artist to make use of polka dots in fine art. Alexandra Exter was one of the most experimental female avant-garde artists, and her style is said to have greatly inspired the Art Deco movement. Sonia Delaunay was the first living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre. Both Delaunay and Exter were costume and clothing designers, extending their artistic vision beyond the canvas. These three female artists, as well as others, are a part of the current exhibition, Cercle et Carré and the International Spirit of Abstract Art, now on view through August 8th. Come to the Schneider to learn more about the history of this group and see the enduring legacy that these women began.

Brice Marden

Brice Marden, Second Letter (Zen Spring), 2006-09, Oil on linen, Courtesy of private collection.

In the Entry Gallery, we have recently installed two paintings by American Minimalist and abstract artist Brice Marden. Traveling to such places as Greece, the United States, and Thailand, Marden accumulated much inspiration. He was most concerned with the simplicity of grids and patterns, as a Minimalist, though his interest expanded into color and shape relationships as well. Both of the works on view, Second Letter (Zen Spring) and Second Body, follow the flowing line pattern that Marden developed, inspired by Chinese art and calligraphy. However, Marden’s work spans a wide range of styles. His series of Red Yellow Blue paintings consisted of monochromatic triptychs, with one singular color on each canvas. The works currently on view in the Entry Gallery both make use of line and shape relationships, and as abstract pieces, they invite us to search for meaning and form within the flowing lines. See two paintings by Brice Marden the next time you visit the Schneider!

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