Queer Abstraction: 1900–1960

About the Class

When imagining distinctly “queer art,” we might conjure figural images: sensual nudes or empowered portraits. To speak to queer experiences, desires, or politics, some say, artists must use the direct visual language of naturalism. But are we seeing the full picture?

What does queer art look like when it doesn’t depict the body? This four-session online course explores this question and delves into the rich but often overlooked history of abstract art by queer artists from 1900 to 1960. Challenging the idea that abstract art fails to communicate queer realities, we will explore the radical possibilities that non-representational art offered for modern artists such as Marsden Hartley, Hilma af Klint, Claude Cahun, Hannah Höch, Beauford Delaney, and Robert Rauschenberg.

Together, we’ll consider how color, form, symbolism, and experimentation communicate ideas and experiences without representing them directly—and expand our understanding of what queer art can be.

The class is online-only. More about online classes.

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Barnes classes will:

• Sharpen your observational and critical thinking skills.
• Improve your ability to communicate about art.
• Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.

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What Our Students Say

“The instructor was not only knowledgeable but so accessible, and such an inviting presence. She provided great reading to supplement the course.” —Mary Cassatt: Art, Identity, and Independence with Larissa Bailiff

“Pierre brings the art alive with her inside stories and images and how she interacts with the students. She is always able to answer and follow up with more information at the next class.” —Exhibiting Modernism: From the Salon to the Avant-Garde with Caterina Pierre

“Alison Boyd was engaging and effective during the online instruction, and she offered well-selected background materials for further reading.” —Aaron Douglas from Harlem to Philly with Alison Boyd