Louise Fishman (1939–2021), a Queer Jewish abstract painter who deliberately distanced herself from the macho tradition of Abstract Expressionism, is the subject of a new exhibition at New York’s Van Doren Waxter. Titled “Louise Fishman: Always Stand Ajar,” the show features 10 late paintings from 2003 to 2013, all titled after verses by American poets Emily Dickinson and Wallace Stevens. The works, priced from $75,000 to $290,000, are part of an effort by Fishman’s widow, Ingrid Nyeboe, to cement the artist’s legacy as an unsung “Queer queen of abstraction.” The gallery began representing Fishman’s estate in 2024, and this is its first show dedicated to her.
The exhibition matters because it highlights a significant but underrecognized figure in 20th-century American painting, whose work challenges the dominant narrative of Abstract Expressionism. Fishman’s integration of personal identity—as a Queer Jewish woman—into her abstract practice, along with her unique approach to titles drawn from poetry, offers a fresh perspective on the genre. The show also underscores the ongoing efforts to elevate women and LGBTQ+ artists in the art historical canon, while the pricing, which exceeds Fishman’s auction record, signals growing market interest in her work.