ART BOOKS Reviewed by Henry Malt

Mothers of Invention

Eleanor Hartney et al

If you thought the art world has ignored female artists for too long, prepare for a year of book buying. And if you thought that all these tomes would be packed with make-weights, be prepared to eat your words. Spoiler alert: the depth and breadth of talent is (yes, OK) unsurprising.

Carolyn Trant sensibly limits herself to a period of about 50 years, but one when creativity was flourishing and was in considerable flux. This approach gives her time not just for a few examples, but to cover chronology in some detail and to chart and relate styles and movements.

If you want a perhaps slightly more political approach, Mothers of Invention sets the record straight on more recent work and its roots. Modern art can be quite muscular and has been male-dominated to the extent that otherwise visible women have been eclipsed. The essays here set that record straight.