Judith Godwin, one of the younger artists exhibited by Betty Parsons studied with Hans Hoffman and was influenced by Zen Buddhism and Kenzo Okada, the Japanese abstract painter. She had an affiliation with nature and architecture from her youth in Virginia.

She feels, as did the Abstract Expressionists, that the act of painting is spiritual and all encompassing. The work is gestural and often narrative with dynamic color movement.

She first exhibited her paintings in New York in 1958 at the Stable Gallery invitational show and at Betty Parsons Section Eleven Gallery. In 1959 and 1960 she had one-person exhibits at Betty Parsons. She didn't exhibit again until the early 70's as the art market was turning away from the Abstract Expressionists and working with Pop, Neo-Geo and Minimalism. She continued painting and doing architectural projects. She was underground, as were most of the Abstract Expressionists who were not recognized names.

She has continued to expand her horizon with art that moves beyond the canvas and includes the viewer as a participant. Due to the renewed interest in the Abstract Expressionist movement, Judith Godwin's personal and professional growth has been duly noted by the fact that her paintings are in numerous public and private collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Yale University Gallery, The Art Institute of Chicago and The Hirshhorn Museum. Judith Godwin lives and works in New York City and Virginia and a retrospective is now being organized by The Chrysler Museum in Virginia.

Anita Shapolsky