Mina Loy: Strangeness Is Inevitable

A richly illustrated exploration of Mina Loy’s art and writingsMina Loy (1882–1966) was one of the most iconoclastic figures in modernism. A groundbreaking poet, she also left an indelible mark in painting, drawing, prose, art criticism, and fashion. Mina Loy: Strangeness Is Inevitable is the first book to examine the full scope of her extraordinary career, demonstrating Loy’s transformative impact on the visual arts as well as the literary avant-garde of the twentieth century.Presenting dozens of Loy’s paintings, drawings, and constructions alongside selections of her poems and writings, this book gives a comprehensive overview of the complex images and objects Loy created and situates them in the larger context of her life and work. It explores Loy’s pursuit of truth and beauty, arguing that her engagement with the emphatically “unbeautiful” materials of the Bowery—such as rags and bottle caps—reflects her questioning of truth. The book positions Loy within the broader context of surrealist art; sheds light on her relationships with influential figures such as Gertrude Stein, Marcel Duchamp, and Wyndham Lewis; and addresses Loy’s enduring relevance today.Featuring rare and previously unpublished artworks, Mina Loy: Strangeness Is Inevitable reveals this visionary artist’s extraordinary contributions as an image-maker, writer, and cultural arbiter, introducing her work to a new generation of readers and charting new directions in art history, women’s studies, poetry, and modernist studies.Published in association with the Bowdoin College Museum of ArtExhibition ScheduleBowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, MaineApril 6–September 17, 2023

About the Author

Jennifer R. Gross is a modern and contemporary art curator and scholar whose books include The Société Anonyme: Modernism for America . Dawn Ades is professor emerita of the history and theory of art at the University of Essex. Roger L. Conover, a writer and editor, is the executor of Mina Loy’s literary estate. Ann Lauterbach is the David and Ruth Schwab Professor of Languages and Literature at Bard College.