I SHOCK MYSELF - Beatrice Wood, Career Woman of Art

By Beatrice Wood

256 Pages | 132 B&W images |  Size:  6" x 9"
ISBN13: 9780764355950 | Binding: soft cover

In her own charming, spirited, and readable style, Beatrice Wood tells us the story of her unorthodox life and her influence on 20th-century art. Rebellious, radical, and romantic, Wood (1893-1998) defied propriety to become a true national, and international, treasure. Her absorbing autobiography includes vintage documents and her own personal photos and sketches of her many famous friends and acquaintances in the art world. She became romantically involved with the Dadaist Marcel Duchamp, and offers rare glimpses into the lives of her circle, including key cultural figures like Constantin Brancusi, Isadora Duncan, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Anais Nin, and Krishnamurti. At age forty Wood studied ceramics and went on to become one of the major ceramists of the 20th century, working until her death at age 105. This captivating chance to enjoy Wood’s rare charisma and spirit provides a better understanding of American art and the people who have shaped it.

The Author:

Rebellious, radical, and romantic, Beatrice Wood defied propriety to become a true national treasure. Born in San Francisco in 1893, she studied and acted in Paris during her early twenties. She returned to New York in 1914 where she became romantically involved with the Dadaist Marcel Duchamp. Her friends and acquaintances throughout her lifetime included key cultural figures like Constantin Brancusi, Isadora Duncan, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Anais Nin, Krishnamurti, and many others. After a disastrous marriage, financial woes, and a debilitating physical affliction, at the age of 40 she studied ceramics and went on to become one of the major ceramicists of the 20th century.  Her work became increasingly daring and experimental, leading to the creation—in her nineties—of her signature pieces.