20th Century

Surveying over four centuries, this volume brings together a wide-ranging selection of artworks and artefacts that highlight under-recognised histories of trans and gender-nonconforming communities. Through the contributions of artists, writers, poets, activists, and scholars, this title reflects on historical erasure to imagine trans futures.

Many artists share the desire for involvement with the self and their own appearance. In the oeuvre of Egon Schiele, self-portraits occupy a central role. Over a period of many years Schiele recorded himself in various poses and styles. This publication focuses in detail on this crucial and yet often only marginally mentioned aspect of his art.

Lyonel Feininger (1871–1956) was a painter, graphic artist and caricaturist. From 1919 he served as one of the original masters at the Bauhaus in Weimar and later in Dessau. In 1937 he emigrated to New York, where he worked  until the end of his life. In addition to his famous Expressionist images of architecture, the publication presents all the facets of his oeuvre and stations of his life based on the latest research.

The German-Swedish painter Lotte Laserstein (1898-1993) is one of the most exciting rediscoveries of recent years. The richly illustrated book with essays on Laserstein’s production in Berlin and her reception in Sweden as well as unpublished documentary material will enrich the existing knowledge of Laserstein’s life and work.

Gottfried Helnwein’s (b. 1948) paintings of children are both touching and disturbing. The hyperrealistic character of his images serves to intensify this effect still further. The vulnerable and defenseless child serves as the central motif in the artist’s examination of the themes of pain, injury and violence. The catalogue provides an overview of his creative work during the past twenty years.

Los Angeles art of the past is a treasure trove, awaiting full excavation. Hiding in plain sight have been offbeat and lyrical works by an ethnically diverse group of artists who exhibited in a 1960s gallery with an alternative take on the mainstream: Ceeje Gallery, the dream project of gay couple, Cecil Hedrick and Jerry Jerome.

Käthe Kollwitz is the woman artist from 20th-century Germany whose works are best-known internationally. She also enjoys the highest esteem beyond the boundaries of Europe. The inimitable, touching language of her graphic and sculptural works is universally understood and her haunting message is more topical than ever.

In the postmodern era the conflicts of the present day, from right-wing populism to identity politics, were already in evidence. Spectacular examples from the fields of design, architecture, cinema, pop music, philosophy, art and literature tell of the beginnings of the information society, the unleashing of the financial markets, subcultures, disco, punk, techno-pop, shoulder pads and Memphis furniture.

Max Beckmann (1884–1950), the outstanding Expressionist painter, is regarded as one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. His works, jostling with figures and full of colour, are packed with highly symbolic messages. They are critical of the times in which he lived and bear witness to Beckmann’s struggle with existential questions and his constant search for truth.

The German-Swedish painter Lotte Laserstein (1898-1993) is one of the most exciting rediscoveries of recent years. The richly illustrated book with essays on Laserstein’s production in Berlin and her reception in Sweden as well as unpublished documentary material will enrich the existing knowledge of Laserstein’s life and work.