Joan Snyder

Joan Snyder (b. 1940, Highland Park, NJ; lives and works in Woodstock and Brooklyn, NY) first gained public attention in the early 1970s with her gestural and elegant “stroke paintings”, which used the grid to deconstruct and retell the story of abstract painting.

Through a fiercely individual approach and persistent experimentation with technique and materials, Snyder has extended the expressive potential of abstract painting and inspired generations of emerging artists.

Artist: Studio

"For me it’s as if every painting is like a piece of music. It has different needs and different moments and different sounds and different expressions. That’s how I move through a painting.”

Artworks

Joan Snyder,

Autobiography,

2023,

Oil, acrylic, burlap, paper mache, flower stems, leaves, ink, paper on linen in three parts,

32 × 96 in (81.28 × 243.84 cm)

Joan Snyder,

Burlap Bars,

2022,

Oil, acrylic, rosebuds, twigs, burlap on linen,

54 × 66 in (137.16 × 167.64 cm)

Joan Snyder,

Soulcatchers,

2023,

Oil, acrylic, paper mache, burlap, rosebuds, straw, mud, ink, charcoal, paper on linen,

55 × 72 in (139.7 × 182.88 cm)

Joan Snyder,

Fragments of a Soul,

2017–18,

Oil, acrylic, ink, paper mache, paper, herbs, shells, straw, cloth on linen in two parts,

50 × 156 in (127 × 396.24 cm)

Joan Snyder,

Sub Rosa II,

2021,

Oil, acrylic, paper, ink, colored pencil on canvas in two parts,

54 × 64 in (137.16 × 162.56 cm)

Joan Snyder,

Orange Band,

2021,

Oil, acrylic, burlap, mud, pastel on linen,

24 × 24 in (60.96 × 60.96 cm)

Joan Snyder,

SHE,

2017,

60 × 42 in (152.4 × 106.68 cm)

oil, acrylic, watercolor, paper, cloth, colored pencil, pastel on canvas

Joan Snyder,

Paint A Pond,

2019,

32 × 64 in (81.28 × 162.56 cm)

Oil, acrylic, burlap, paper on canvas

Joan Snyder,

The Summer Becomes a Room,

2018,

42 × 62 in (106.68 × 157.48 cm)

Oil, acrylic, herbs, rosebuds, burlap, cloth on canvas

Joan Snyder,

In Woodstock,

2019,

32 × 64 in (81.28 × 162.56 cm)

oil, acrylic, burlap, cloth, mud, herbs on linen

Joan Snyder,

Inner Green,

2019,

50 × 72 in (127 × 182.88 cm)

Oil, acrylic, paper mache, burlap, dried flowers on linen

Joan Snyder,

Field Marks,

2019,

30 × 96 in (76.20 × 243.84 cm)

Oil, acrylic, burlap, paper, and rose stems on canvas

Installation Views

Installation view of Joan Snyder The Summer Becomes a Room, Sep 2 – Oct 17, 2020, CANADA

Exhibitions

Joan Snyder, ComeClose, Jan 12 – Feb 24, 2024
Joan Snyder, The Summer Becomes a Room, Sep 2 – Oct 17, 2020

Publications

Joan Snyder
ComeClose, 2024

Joan Snyder
The Summer Becomes a Room, 2020

Joan Snyder
Rosebuds & Rivers, 2019

Joan Snyder
Dancing with the Dark, 2011

Joan Snyder, 2005

Press

Barry Schwabsky, “Joan Snyder’s Painterly Abstractions Are Neither Coy nor Evasive”, ARTnews, July 17

Carlie Porterfield "Joan Snyder joins Thaddaeus Ropac for Europe and Asia representation." The Art Newspaper February 28, 2024

Helen Molesworth "Thaddaeus Ropac now represents Joan Snyder." Artdaily February 27, 2024

Daniel Cassady "American Artist Joan Snyder Joins Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery, Expanding International Reach." Artnews February 23, 2024

Faye Hirsch "The Passions of Joan Snyder." Hyperallergic February 4, 2024

Katya Kazakina "Work of the Week: ‘Trio’ by Joan Snyder." Artnet January 31, 2024

Cecilia Whittaker-Doe "Guest Reviewer: Cecilia Whittaker-Doe, “Travels through a Life”: Joan Snyder’s Paintings at Canada." Talking PicturesJanuary 26, 2024

Jac Lahav "Joan Snyder’s brilliant command of chaos." Two Coats of Paint January 23, 2024

Jerry Saltz "8 Art Shows We Can’t Wait to See in 2024." Vulture January 3, 2024

Jan Avgikos "Painting in New York: 1971-83." Artforum January, 2023

Martha Schwendener "What to See in NYC Galleries Right Now: Painting in New York: 1971-83." The New York Times October 27, 2022

Donald Kuspit "Joan Snyder." Artforum October 1, 2022

Ksenia Soboleva "Painting in New York: 1971-83." The Brooklyn Rail October, 2022

Norman L Kleeblatt "Joan Snyder: To Become a Painting." The Brooklyn Rail July 1, 2022

Angelica Villa "See Sales Highlights from 10 Galleries at This Year’s Frieze New York." ARTnews May 19, 2022

Roberta Smith "At the Shed, Frieze II Takes Off." The New York Times May 19, 2022

"Solo Shows at Frieze New York." Frieze May 4, 2022

"Pioneering Women Artists at Frieze New York 2022." Frieze April 22, 2022

"NYC-ARTS Full Episode: April 7, 2022."

"Woodstock Masters: Joan Snyder interviewed by Franklin Parrasch." 

"Joan Snyder Zooms with the Zimmerli." 

"Zimmerli Members Invited for Virtual Visit with Joan Snyder in Her Studio." 

"Artful Recommends: Joan Snyder at Canada." Artful October 15, 2020

Will Heinrich "Ablaze With Art: Thriving Galleries in Lower Manhattan." The New York Times October 15, 2020

William Corwin "Joan Snyder: The Summer Becomes a Room." The Brooklyn Rail October 2020

"Joan Snyder: The Summer Becomes a Room at Canada Gallery, NYC." Arte Fuse October, 2020

Jason Andrew "Joan Snyder: Painting from the inside out." Two Coats of Paint September 18, 2020

"NYC-ARTS Choice: Joan Snyder’s Smashed Strokes Hope." 

Whitney Hale "Legacies of Abstraction, Feminism and Language at the UK Art Museum." UKNow September 11, 2019

Daniel Sturgis "Grit and Vitality, Daniel Sturgis on Joan Snyder at Blain Southern, London." Texte Zur Kunst Magazine August 28, 2019

Skye Sherwin "Joan Snyder’s Proserpina: a cycle of death and renewal." The Guardian April 5, 2019

Rosemary Waugh "Joan Snyder: Rosebuds & Rivers review." TimeOut April 4, 2019

Karen Wilkin "Epic Abstraction’ Review: High Expectations and Trepidations." The Wall Street Journal January 12, 2019

"Ones to Watch: The Rising Art Stars of 2019." Elephant January 2, 2019

Peter Schjeldahl "The Inflation of Abstraction." The New Yorker December 31, 2018

Roberta Smith "At the Met Museum, an Abstract Show that Falls Short of Epic." The New York Times December 20, 2018

David Cohen "Featured Item from THE LIST: Joan Snyder at Anders Wahlstedt." Artcritical December 13, 2018

Molly Snyder-Fink "My Mother’s Altar: Joan Snyder Paints to Face Herself." Woman’s Art Journal Fall/Winter, 2018

"Joan Snyder: The Female Presence." Two Coats of Paint May 16, 2018

Ezrha Jean Black "Artillery Best in Show 2017." Artillery January 2, 2018

"5 Questions with Joan Snyder." Elephant August 28, 2017

Catherine Wagley "5 Art Shows to See in LA, This Week." LA Weekly June 14, 2017

David Pagel "Forrest Bess and Joan Snyder Paintings Shine in a Show That Gets Past the Dark History." Los Angeles Times June 6, 2017

"Forrest Bess and Joan Snyder at Parrasch Heijnen Gallery, Los Angeles." ARTnews June 5, 2017

Jonathan Griffin "Joan Snyder, Womansong." ArtReview Summer, 2016

"Must See Los Angeles." Artforum May 11, 2016

David Pagel "Review: Discoveries at Every Turn in Joan Snyder Paintings at Parrasch Heijnen." Los Angeles Times May 11, 2016

Amy Marie Slocum "Q&A: Joan Snyder." Flaunt May, 2016

Jan Lhormer "All That Glitters: A Conversation with Joan Snyder." Provincetown Arts 2016

Julian Kreimer "Joan Snyder at Franklin Parrasch." Art in America September 30, 2015

Roberta Smith "Review: From Joan Snyder, a Profusion of Flowers at Franklin Parrasch." The New York Times June 11, 2015

Hovey Brock "Joan Snyder: Sub Rosa." The Brooklyn Rail June, 2015

Peter Blagens "Romantic Abstracts, ‘Product Paintings’ and 3-D Pixels." The Wall Street Journal May 22, 2015

Maura Reilly "Six Pioneering Feminist Artists Conquer New York." Hyperallergic April 30, 2015

Heather Corcoran "On Artists, the Absurd, and the Sublime: Cristin Tierney Gallery at Expo Chicago." Artsy September 18, 2014

Cara Manes "Speaking with Joan Snyder About Sweet Cathy’s Song." MoMA Inside Out May 8, 2014

Emily Nathan "Joan Snyder: Gering & Lopez." ARTnews March 1, 2013

Susan Tallman "Getting Complicated: Joan Snyder Prints." Art in Print November-December

Kate McQuiad "A Life Reflected in Rage, Grief, Gratitude: Joan Snyder: Dancing with the Dark." The Boston Globe October 24, 2011

Martha Schwendener "The Consciousness of a Feminist Expressionist." The New York Times May 14, 2011

Lance Esplund "Lady of the Wild Things." The Wall Street Journal April 27, 2011

Holland Cotter "A New Sparkle for Abstract Ensemble: Joan Snyder: Tang Museum." The New York Times January 6, 2011

Cassandra Langer "Joan Snyder at Betty Cuningham." ARTnews November 2, 2010

Jeff Frederick "Joan Snyder at Betty Cuningham." Art in America October 10, 2010

Roberta Smith "A Year in the Painting Life." The New York Times October 1, 2010

Karen Rosenberg "A Raucous Reflection on Identity: Jewish and Feminine." The New York Times September 10, 2010

David Pagel "Review: Joan Snyder at Solway-Jones Gallery." Los Angeles Times March 13, 2009

Achim Hochdorfer "A Hidden Reserve: Painting from 1958-1965." Artforum February 1, 2009

Cate McQuaid "Her Intelligent Paintings Are Works of ‘Genius’." The Boston Globe October 1, 2008

Felicia R Lee "MacArthur Foundation Gives Out ‘Genius Awards'." The New York Times October 18, 2007

Erica Orden "A MacArthur ‘Genius’ Wants Her Work Seen." The New York Sun September 25, 2007

Nancy Princenthal "Feminism Unbound." Art in America June/July, 2007

Edward Leffingwell "Joan Snyder at Betty Cuningham." Art in America June/July, 2007

Martha Schwendener "Art in Review: Joan Snyder." The New York Times March 16, 2007

Roberta Smith "Between the Precise Layers, A Cultural Narrative." The New York Times March 16, 2007

"Feminist Art: A Reassessment: Susan Bee, Mira Schor, and Joan Snyder." M/E/A/N/I/N/G Magazine 2007

Mark Stevens "Iron Joan." New York Magazine September 19, 2005

James Gardner "Joan Snyder: A Painting Survey 1969-2005." New York Post September 5, 2005

Michael Kimmelman "In Every Stroke, Life’s Fierce Pageant." The New York Times August 26, 2005

Karen Rosenberg "Joan Snyder: A Painting Survey, 1969-2005." New York Magazine August 15, 2005

Robin Pogrebin "The Week Ahead." The New York Times August 7, 2005

Susan Harris "Joan Snyder at Betty Cuningham and Alexandre." Art in America April, 2005

Cynthia Nadelman "Joan Snyder: Betty Cuningham and Alexandre." ARTnews March, 2005

Rachel Youens "'Joan Snyder at Betty Cuningham' in 'Artseen'." The Brooklyn Rail December

"Art: Galleries – Chelsea." The New Yorker, November 22, 2004

Lance Esplund "Fresh Paint: Critics’ Choice." Modern Painters Autumn, 2004

Grace Glueck "Art in Review: The Art of Aging." The New York Times January 9, 2004

D. Dominick Lombardi "Art Reviews: Gems, Indoors and Out." The New York Times July 27, 2003

Ken Johnson "Primary Fields." The New York Times May 18, 2001

Suzanne Chessler "The Voice of Experience." The Jewish News May 4, 2001

Holland Cotter "Art in Review: ‘Immediacies of the Hand’ Recent Abstract Paintings in New York." The New York Times April 9, 1999

David McCracken "Snyder Paints to Try to Heal the Children." Chicago Tribune December 9, 1998

Grace Glueck "Art Guide: Joan Snyder." The New York Times December, 1998

Mason Klein "Joan Snyder." Artforum October, 1998

Holland Cotter "Art Guide." The New York Times May 29, 1998

Ken Johnson "The New York Times." April 15, 1998

Miles Unger "Joan Snyder." ARTnews March, 1998

"Awards: Joan Snyder: 1969-Now ‘Best Regional Show." Art in America MAY, 1995

"Art: The 10 Best Shows of 1994." New York Magazine December 19-26, 1994

Peter Schnore "Joan Snyder: Works With Paper." Art Matters December, 1994

Roberta Smith "Building on the Bare, Bare Bones." The New York Times August 12, 1994

Phyllis Braff "The Restlessness and Imaginations of 2 Important Pioneers." The New York Times July 31, 1994

Hayden Herrera "Joan Snyder Traffics in Art and True Grit." The New York Times July 24, 1994

Roberta Smith "To Enchant (blue)." The New York Times July 22, 1994

Holland Cotter "Taking It Personally: Putting Emotions to Paper." The New York Times April 8, 1994

"Who Are the Most Underrated and Overrated Artists?." ARTnews February 1, 1994

Jed Perl "Snyder's Earth, Freud's skin." New Criterion February, 1994

"Joan Snyder/Jessica Stockholder Voice Choices." Village Voice January 26, 1994

Elizabeth Hess "Fem Fatale." Village Voice January 25, 1994

Jed Perl "Getting Emotional: On Paintings of Lisa Zwerling and Joan Snyder." The New Criterion 1993

Joan Snyder "Being a Mother." Meaning November, 1992

Holland Cotter "In Orbit Amid Black and Silk." The New York Times October 30, 1992

Holland Cotter "Joan Snyder at Hirschl & Adler Modern." Art in America, October, 1990

Jed Perl "Mixed Media." New Criterion April 8, 1990

Helen A. Harrison "Poles of Expression: Formal and Emotional." The New York Times December 4, 1988

Roberta Smith "Artworks that Strike Up Conversations with Viewers." The New York Times April 1, 1988

Jed Perl "The Joans of Art." Vouge March, 1998

Michael Brenson "True Believers Who Keep the Flame of Painting." The New York Times June 7, 1987

Susan Gill "Painting From the Heart." ARTnews April 1, 1987

Gerrit Henry "Joan Snyder: True Grit." Art in America February 2, 1986

Susan Gill "Joan Snyder, Hirschl & Adler Modern." ARTnews December 10, 1985

Gerrit Henry "Joan Snyder’ in ‘Expressionism Today: An Artists’ Symposium." Art in America December 1, 1982

Leo Rubinfien "Joan Snyder, Hamilton Gallery." Artforum Summer

Hilton Kramer "Other Exhibitions This Week..." The New York Times March 3, 1978

David L. Shirey "Spirited Feminist Wields Bold Brush." The New York Times February 12, 1978

Sally Webster "Joan Snyder, Fury and Fugue, Politics of the Inside." Feminist Art Journal Summer, 1976

Hayden Herrera "Joan Snyder at Carl Solway." Art in America May-June, 1976

Joan Snyder "Painters Reply..." Artforum 1975, September

Laurie Anderson "Joan Snyder’s Recent Paintings at Paley & Lowe..." ARTnews May, 1973

John Elderfield "The Whitney Annual." Art in America May-June, 1972

Dave Hickey "Frankenthaler at Emmerich, Joan Snyder at Paley & Lowe." Art in America January-February, 1972

Knute Stiles "Joan Snyder." Artforum November, 2023

Marcia Tucker "The Anatomy of a Stroke: Recent Paintings by Joan Snyder." Artforum May, 1971

CV

Joan Snyder

b. 1940 in Highland Park, NJ

Lives and works in Brooklyn and Woodstock, NY

  • Education

    • 1966

      MFA, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

    • 1962

      A.B., Douglass College at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

  • Selected Solo Exhibitions

    • 2024

      Joan Snyder, Thaddaeus Ropac, London, United Kingdom (forthcoming)

      ComeClose, CANADA, New York, NY

    • 2022

      To Become A Painting, Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York, NY

      A Perspective, 1968-2017, Frieze New York, Franklin Parrasch Gallery, New York, NY

    • 2021

      Silk & Song, Galerie Haas, Zürich, Switzerland

    • 2020

      The Summer Becomes a Room, CANADA, New York, NY

    • 2019

      Rosebuds & Rivers, Blain|Southern, London, UK

    • 2018-19

      Six Chants and One Altar, Anders Wahlstedt Fine Art, New York, NY