Rose, M: Expatriate Experience and American Women Artists

Contemporary American expatriate artists reveal ambivalent attitudes toward mobility, identity, and global culture. More than an historical overview of American women artists abroad, this book draws upon developmental theory and studies of creativity to explore artists uses of experience, and deconstructs expatriate experience by weaving theory of intercultural adaptation and migration with women artists own descriptions of their search for identity. Central to the research are four case studies constructed with oral history narratives that examine the impact of expatriate experience on four American women artists: Paris based Laurie Karp, Grace Renzi, and Kate Van Houten, and Stockholm based Rachelle Puryear. Candid about their quests for artistic and creative identities, analysis further illuminates how the journey becomes the experience and concludes with implications for art education. This book speaks to the educators of artists and to those intrepid American art students going abroad who believe cultural exposure to be fundamental to their artistic development.