What unites a large-scale abstract painting by American artist Howardena Pindell, a folding aluminium sculpture created by Brazilian sculptor Lygia Clark and a suspended textile work by Indian artist Nelly Sethna? These three, and dozens of other abstract works, made with varying mediums, are highlighted in the exhibition Beyond Form: Lines of Abstraction, 1950-1970 at the seaside venue of Turner Contemporary in Margate, England, curated by Dr Flavia Frigeri.

The exhibition is a global look at abstraction by women artists between 1950-1970. An admirable curatorial decision was made not to include the words ‘women’ or ‘female’ in the exhibition title, given that many prior exhibitions featured only male artists and their gender was never mentioned in the titles of those shows.

While not necessarily in discourse with each other, the artists presented here created works on similar themes, most commonly the role of women in society. In one room, Louise Bourgeois’ sculpture feels like a mound of birds’ eggs, evoking the sense of motherhood and protection that nature and society associate with women. Adjacently, Ewa Pachucka’s woven torso of a man hangs from the ceiling, gently spinning and revealing a gaping hole inside of him showing us that something is missing within him, which visitors may choose to interpret as a reflection of insecurities or the role of men coming apart. Fittingly, these works sit opposite Hannah Wilke’s terracotta vaginal sculptures, putting on display imagery of modern femininity which many patriarchal societies argue, must be concealed.

Most of the works in this exhibition offer a personal insight into each artist’s creative practice rather than overwhelm the viewer with scale or otherwise. A notable exception is the gargantuan aluminium sculpture suspended from the ceiling by Marisa Merz, made of pieces that she stapled together in her kitchen, the only space she could make these works and hang them from her ceiling. There are still grease stains on the works, remnants that signal the domesticity of the piece and its origins in her kitchen.

Domesticity is prevalent throughout the exhibition, as most artists did not have studios, including Ruth Asawa. Asawa created beautiful and delicate sculptures out of wire that she hand-tied together, and which created intricate shadows on the wall when suspended. However, when she started making these works in the 1950s she was often classified as a domestic or ‘housewife artist’.

Plastic recurs as a medium in the show, and, while today its primary association is with pollution, it can be seen in a historical context as a “material of the future” in this period, with no association with either gender. Carla Accardi used plastic to great effect with her abstract mark-making on sico foil (a transparent plastic), providing a new way to look at a work that would normally be classified as Abstract Expressionism.

The exhibition cohesively pairs better-known artists with those less familiar. In one instance a black and white Bridget Riley gives the illusion that one point is receding away from us even if the work itself is flat. This work hangs adjacent to one by the less familiar Iranian artist Behjat Sadr, whose wavy lines give the effect of movement on a still canvas. Both artists are grouped within a room where all the works are black, white and grey, showing us that even with a limited colour palette these artists could craft individual and forward-looking narratives.

The exhibition is wide-ranging in its selection of artists, works, concepts, and countries of origin. Yet, the exhibiting works revolve around common themes—including motherhood and the domestic space. This ensures that those new to abstraction and those familiar with the movement will both discover new works and new artists within this excellent exhibition.

All the works here are made by women but as writer Siri Hustvedt said on the topic of art and gender: "A work of art has no sex. The sex of the artist does not determine a work’s gender.” In the spirit of that quote, it’s important to first see this as an exhibition about abstraction, in which all the artworks are by women. 

Beyond Form: Lines of Abstraction, 1950-1970 is on view at Turner Contemporary until May 6, 2024.