Ida Abelman
Ida York Abelman was an American artist and muralist in the 1930s. Abelman was known as a Social Realist. She was born Ida York and lived her early life in New York City. At the age of 19 she married Larry Abelman, also an artist.
Education
She attended Hunter College, and studied at the Grand Central School of Art, the National Academy School of Fine Arts, and the City College of New York. She was a member of the American Artists' Congress and was hired by the Federal Art Project and the Works Progress Administration, both a part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs for artists.Works
Abelman was known for her graphic work that she produced during the Depression. She was heavily influenced by Constructivism, Surrealism, and Social realism. Her works often portrays a machine aesthetic by combining machine parts with human or organic forms to convey the positive and negative aspects of a mechanized society.Abelman silhouetted her compositions against the full sheet of paper, imparting an abstracted strength to the lithographs that is a hallmark of her personal style.
Her work can be found in several published sources including American Prints of the 1930s, The Machine Age in American Art,, 20th Century Prints, and A Simple and Vital Design: The Story of the Indiana Post Office Murals.