Lee Miller and the Shape of What Comes Next

Since my last post, I’ve given my talk on Susan Hiller. Spending time with her work, and the questions it raises around collective experience and what sits outside formal records, felt like a fitting continuation of the themes running through this project.

What has shifted more noticeably, though, is the shape of what comes next.

In recent sessions at Abergavenny Library, I began discussing the idea of forming a small action group. That has now taken a more defined form as a July “intensive”: a focused, short-term way of moving from talking and reflecting into doing.

Stamp used for donated books. So far used in Paula Rego book donated by Cristea Roberts Gallery for the Abergavenny Library stock.

The intensive will bring together a small group of artists based across Abergavenny, Cwmbran and Hereford. Meeting weekly throughout July, we will use the time for structured discussion, feedback, and practical action. While my own focus remains on Male Stacks, Female Gaps: Artist Monographs in Public Libraries, the group will also support other projects, including work on gender representation in teenage fiction and a collaboration exploring 100 years of femicide in Wales.

It feels like a natural progression. Since September, I’ve been holding a series of talks exploring women artists, each one opening up different questions around visibility, representation, and access. The artists I’ve covered so far are:

Artemisia Gentileschi Elizabeth Frink Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Hannah Höch Niki de Saint Phalle Faith Ringgold Käthe Kollwitz

Susan Hiller

This Saturday marks the final talk in that series, on the photographer Lee Miller.

Saturday 27 June11am–12pm Abergavenny Library (Mezzanine) All welcome! Alongside this, next month begins the ‘July intensive’ challenge, where a group of artists working on projects with overlaps with my Male stacks, Female Gaps will come together to discuss and progress each of our projects.

I’ll be identifying around 12 books for younger readers and 36 for the adult section, including a proportion on global majority artists. From there, the work will involve sourcing accessible introductory texts and beginning conversations with potential donors.

For now, the focus is on getting the first books onto the shelves and seeing what follows.