Art At The Margins

This book is a descriptive and historical study ofhow Jennifer Kotter Ray Materson and BonniePeterson three late 20th century artists use theirexperience objects from everyday life and thetechniques of women's work to create art at themargins. Levinson defines art at the margins asart that is perceived to be low art rather thanhigh art because the artists use women'swork-techniques stereotyped with domestic activitiesand craft. Her discussion focuses on how the artworkremains or transcends its status at the margins andmoves among diverse categories of art. Interviewswith the three artists reveal their life experiencesand views on their art. Each artist's medium is setin an historical context to show how the mediumevolved how certain perceptions became attached toit and how the concept of mainstream art changedover time. Included are sections on femalestereotypes embroidery art quilts and pluralistart of the 1970s. Levinson's in-depth analysis shedslight on the pluralism of art techniques andmaterials in the late 20th and early 21st centuriesand should be useful to art critics art historiansstudents and cultural studies professionals.