Frize Masters | London

Berry Campbell is pleased to present Women of the 8th Street Club at Frieze Masters. This presentation focuses on women artists who were at the forefront of the 8th Street Club, known as “The Club,” an influential group of artists central to Abstract Expressionism in postwar New York. Meeting weekly for lectures, panel discussions, and social events, “The Club” created a vital forum where artists, critics, writers, composers, and intellectuals exchanged ideas. “The Club” was exclusive, with members brought in by invitation only. Elaine de Kooning, Perle Fine, and Mercedes Matter were the only three women admitted as voting members.

Artists featured in this finely curated group presentation are Mary Abbott (1921–2019), Alice Baber (1928–1982), Elaine de Kooning (1918–1989), Dorothy Dehner (1901-1994), Perle Fine (1905–1988), Grace Hartigan (1922–2008), Mercedes Matter (1913-2001), Joan Mitchell (1925–1992), Charlotte Park (1918-2010), Edith Schloss (1919-2011), Ethel Schwabacher (1903–1984), and Yvonne Thomas (1913–2009). Together, these women were active participants in the intellectual and artistic discourse of the 8^th Street Club, strengthening the burgeoning movement of Abstract Expressionism.

Comprised of works from the late 1940s through the 1980s, this presentation brings together the diverse artistic practices of the New York School. Highlights include Mercedes Matter's Untitled (c. 1948), an early abstraction reflecting her distinct approach to gesture, structure, and space, alongside Ethel Schwabacher's Untitled (c. 1948), a lyrical early composition. Also featured is Elaine de Kooning's Robert Mallary (1964), a vibrant portrait capturing the sculptor through her signature gestural figuration, presented in dialogue with Alice Baber's The Flag of the Jaguar Turns to the Mountain (1981), a luminous work exploring transcendental color and light. Together, these works demonstrate the breadth of experimentation that defined the New York School, highlighting the central role these artists played in the development of Abstract Expressionism.

Since its founding in 2013, Berry Campbell has been dedicated to restoring historically underrecognized artists to their rightful place within the canon, with a particular emphasis on the women of the New York School. Women of the 8^th Street Club is an extension of the gallery’s program, bringing together artists whose pivotal contributions defined Abstract Expressionism in postwar New York.

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