Judith Godwin 1930-2021

Judith Godwin (1930 - 2021) created lyrical Abstract Expressionist canvases—rich with organic shapes and sweeping brushstrokes—influenced by her decades-long friendship with dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, as well as her interest in Zen Buddhism and Native American art. Godwin was included alongside Lee KrasnerJoan Mitchell, and other prominent mid-century female painters in the groundbreaking 2016 exhibition “Women of Abstract Expressionism” at the Denver Art Museum. Godwin moved to New York in 1953 to enroll at the Art Students League; there she studied under Hans Hofmann, who would become her mentor. During this period she came into contact with Jackson PollockMark RothkoFranz Kline, and other key figures of the New York avant-garde, although she felt her work was overlooked compared to her male peers. Her style continuously evolved over the years, becoming more complex and physical as she referenced architectural space and nature in her abstract compositions.