Consider the broad range of artists working in the 1980s and look at some investigating an eclectic
or unusual vision. An artist such as Nancy Grossman worked within a context of other artists (for her,
Richard Lindner, Anita Siegel, Diane Arbus, and David Smith) but is usually seen as having worked
independently and outside the conventional way the avant-garde is defined. David Smith is often
considered one of the most important Abstract Expressionist sculptors. But Grossman gets little attention
by comparison.
Select an artist who is viewed in this way from the 1980s, someone who exhibited his or her art at a major
art museum in the United States but is not included in the textbook. Discuss how this artist makes work that
is distinct from others making art at this time while also highlighting how the art has connections to the main
stylistic or visual features of the era. Select a specific example of art and consider it in detail.
Sample Solution
