Author Interview: Julia Voss and "Hilma af Klint, a Biography"
I’ve got a great interview for you today— this time, I’m featuring a conversation with Julia Voss on her fascinating book, Hilma af Klint, a Biography, which was released recently in its English translation.
The Swedish painter Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) was forty-four years old when she broke with the academic tradition in which she had been trained to produce a body of radical, abstract works the likes of which had never been seen before. Today, it is widely accepted that af Klint was one of the earliest abstract academic painters in Europe.
But this is only part of her story. Not only was she a working female artist, she was also an avowed clairvoyant and mystic. Like many of the artists at the turn of the twentieth century who developed some version of abstract painting, af Klint studied Theosophy, which holds that science, art, and religion are all reflections of an underlying life-form that can be harnessed through meditation, study, and experimentation. Well before Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich declared themselves the inventors of abstraction, af Klint was working in a nonrepresentational mode, producing a powerful visual language that continues to speak to audiences today. The exhibition of her work in 2018 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City attracted more than 600,000 visitors, making it the most-attended show in the history of the institution.
Despite her enormous popularity, there has not yet been a biography of af Klint—until now. Inspired by her first encounter with the artist’s work in 2008, Julia Voss set out to learn Swedish and research af Klint’s life—not only who the artist was but what drove and inspired her. The result is a fascinating biography of an artist who is as great as she is enigmatic.
About the author:
Julia Voss is a German art historian, art critic, and former art editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and she recently joined me on Zoom to discuss this highly anticipated biography and Hilma af Klint’s astounding life.
Please enjoy this bonus episode, featuring my discussion with Julia Voss. Be sure to grab your copy of Hilma af Klint, a Biography from Bookshop.org, below. If you prefer Amazon, that link is below as well.
Please SUBSCRIBE and REVIEW our show on Apple Podcasts and FOLLOW on Spotify
Buy Hilma af Klint, a Biography here!
SPONSORS:
Lomi: Enjoy $50 off a Lomi Composter by visiting our link and using promo code ARTCURIOUS
Lume Deodorant: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get over 40% off your starter pack with promo code ARTCURIOUS at lumedeodorant.com/ARTCURIOUS! #lumepod
Want to advertise/sponsor our show?
We have partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. They’re great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email sales@advertisecast.com or click the link below to get started.