Mina LoyStrangeness Is Inevitable

Mina Loy: Strangeness Is Inevitable is the first monographic presentation of the art of Mina Loy (born Mina Gertrude Lowy, 1882­–1966), one of the most inscrutable artists and poets of the twentieth century. More than 80 paintings, drawings, and constructions made by Loy through the course of her life, are united to reveal her omnivorous creativity as an image-maker, author, and cultural arbiter. These works, drawn from a dozen institutional and private lenders, are complemented by extensive, never-before assembled, archival materials that will contextualize her art within the arc of her life. Courageous enough to defy the conventions of her era, both socially and aesthetically, Loy developed a creative career that included the creation of poetry and prose, visual art, and design. Curated by Jennifer R. Gross, the show is accompanied by a fully illustrated eponymous catalogue published by Princeton University Press.

Major funding for the exhibition in Chicago was provided by the Zell Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art. This exhibition originated at Bowdoin College Museum of Art.

Image caption: Mina Loy, Stars, 1932, mixed media on board, 31 × 34 in. (78.74 × 86.36 cm).Collection of Roger Conover. Photography by Luc Demers.