Jo Applin is a specialist in modern and contemporary art. After attending state schools in Essex, she studied at the University of Essex and at UCL, where she completed her PhD and was subsequently Henry Moore Postdoctoral Fellow. She joined the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Institute in 2016, after eleven years teaching at the University of York. From 2018 to 2021 she was Head of the History of Art Department at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Institute. Jo is currently an Elected Member of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s Governing Board, where she also sits on the Finance and Operations Committee and Joint Honours Committee. Jo is Director of the Centre for the Art of the Americas. In 2025 she was appointed as REF2029 sub-panel member.
In 2008 Jo was Associate Scholar at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal, and in 2012 she was the recipient of a Philip Leverhulme Prize. In 2016 she was Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies, a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, and Senior Scholar at the Terra Foundation Summer Residency in Giverny. In spring 2022 she was invited professor at Université Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne. Jo is an elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Jo is the author of Lee Lozano: Not WorkingÌý(Yale University Press, 2018),ÌýAlison Wilding (Lund Humphries, 2018), Eccentric Objects: Rethinking Sculpture in 1960s America (Yale University Press, 2012), and Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Room-Phalli’s FieldÌý(Afterall and MIT Press, 2012). Her most recent book,ÌýLee Lozano:ÌýNot Working,Ìýwas awarded the Suzanne and James Mellor Book Prize from the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington D.C. She is currently writing a book about art and ageing.
Jo’s edited books include Abstract Erotic: Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Alice Adams (Paul Holberton Press, 2025); London Art Worlds: Mobile, Contingent and Ephemeral Networks 1960-1980 (Penn State University Press, 2018), with Catherine Spencer and Amy Tobin, Flesh (York Museums Trust, 2016). She has also co-edited special issues of Oxford Art Journal, Tate Papers, and Art Journal.
In 2016 Jo co-curated , a major loan exhibition of over eighty works at York Art Gallery. Artists included Francis Bacon, Lynda Benglis, Belinda de Bruyckere, Chardin, Sarah Lucas, Steve McQueen, Bruce Nauman, Rodin, Donald Rodney, Rubens, and Jenny Saville. In 2025 she curatedÌý Abstract Erotic: Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Alice Adams, at The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Gallery. This was accompanied by Louise Bourgeois: Drawings from the 1960s.
Jo has also published widely on contemporary art and is an active critic. She has written reviews for scholarly journals including Oxford Art Journal, The Art Book, Journal of American Studies, Map, Sculpture Journal, West 86th, and Modernism/Modernity. She has also written for ,, , and the .
Jo is an editor of Oxford Art Journal, where from 2014 to 2020 she was reviews editor. She also sits on the editorial boards of Archives of American Art JournalÌýand Tate Papers. She previously served on the Advisory Board of the Terra-Tate Research Project ‘Refiguring American Art 1945-1980’ and ARTMargins journal. Between 2019-2024 she was a member of the Advisory Council of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. Jo is a Trustee of the Eva Hesse Charitable Foundation, a member of the Advisory Group for the Austrian Ludwig Foundation’s ‘Beside, not Infinite’ project, and a member of the Advisory Board for Drawing Room, London.
PhDÌýSupervision
CurrentÌý Ìý
- Matthew Cheale, ‘Grand Eccentrics, Radical Forms: Sculptural Networks in American Counterculture’
- Tatjana Schaefer, ‘Painting’s Agency / Painting’s Defiance Traces of Plural Feminisms in the Works of New York Painters from the Heresies Collective’
Recently Completed
- Stephen Feeke, ‘Midlife Materiality: Barbara Hepworth and Bronze’
- Francesca Wilmott, ‘Far Out California: A New Regionalism 1966-1976’
- Tilly Scantlebury, ‘Being Together With Others: Queer American ArtÌý and the Family 1990-2020‘
- Kostas Stasinopoulos, ‘Women Artists in Exile and Protest since 1960’
- Amy Tobin, ‘Working Together, Working Apart: Feminism, Art and Collaboration in Britain and North America 1970–1981’
- Kuang Vivian Sheng, ‘The Female Fantasy of Home-Making: Women Artists in the World’
- Catherine Spencer, ‘Fieldwork: Performing Social Science in North America, 1961-1975’
Selected publications
Books
- Abstract Erotic: Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Alice Adams, ed. Jo Applin (London: Paul Holberton Publishing, 2025)
- Lee Lozano: Not WorkingÌý(New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2018). Winner of the Suzanne and James Mellor Book Prize, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC
- London Art Worlds: Mobile, Contingent, and Ephemeral NetworksÌý1960-1980, eds. Jo Applin, Catherine Spencer and Amy Tobin (University Park: Penn State University Press, 2018).
- Alison Wilding,Ìýwith an essay by Briony Fer (London: Lund Humphries, 2018)
- Flesh, ed. Jo Applin (York: York Art Gallery, 2016)
- Eccentric Objects: Rethinking Sculpture in 1960s AmericaÌý(New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2012)
- Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Room-Phalli’s FieldÌý(London and Cambridge, Mass: Afterall and MIT Press, 2012)
Edited Special Issues
- ‘Feminist Domesticities’, eds. Jo Applin and Francesca Berry,ÌýOxford Art Journal, 40: 1 (Spring 2017)
- ‘On Drawing’, eds. Jo Applin, Jennifer Mundy, and Michael White,ÌýTate Papers, 14 (Autumn 2010)
- ‘Assemblage, Bricolage and the Obsolete’, eds. Jo Applin, Anna Dezeuze, and Julia Kelly,ÌýArt Journal, 67:1 (Spring 2008)
Articles
- ‘Generational Objects: Ida Applebroog’s History of Feminism’,ÌýOxford Art Journal, 40:1 (Spring 2017), 133-151.
- ‘Feminist Domesticities’ (with Francesca Berry),ÌýOxford Art Journal, 40:1 (Spring 2017), 1-5.
- ‘Cut Out, Drop Out’,ÌýAmerican Art, 31:1 (Spring 2017), 6-11.
- ‘Hard Work: Lee Lozano’s Dropouts’,ÌýOctober, 156 (Spring 2016), 75-99.
- ‘Disorienting the Art World: Mona Hatoum in Istanbul’,ÌýBritish Art Studies, 3 (2016).
- ‘Mobile Subjects: Abstraction, the Body and Science in the Work of Liliane Lijn and Bridget Riley’,ÌýKonsthistorisk Tidskrift/Journal of Art History, 83:2 (May 2014), 98-111.
- ‘Strange Encounters: Claes Oldenburg’s Proposed Monuments for New York and London’,ÌýArt History, 34:4, (September 2011), 838-857.
- ‘Surviving Reality: Lee Bontecou’s Worldscapes’,ÌýTate Papers, 14 (Autumn 2010).
- ‘Death Ships’,Ìýparallax, 15:1 (January-March 2009), 102-115.
- ‘There’s a Sculpture on My Shoulder: Bruce McLean and the Anxiety of Influence’,ÌýSculpture Journal, 17:2 (Winter 2008), 102-115.
- ‘Bric-a-Brac: The Everyday Work of Tom Friedman’,ÌýArt Journal, 67:1 (Spring 2008), 69-81.
- ‘Alberto Burri and Niki de Saint-Phalle: Relief Sculpture and Violence in the Sixties’,ÌýSource: Notes in the History of Art, 27:2 (Winter 2008), 77-81.
- ‘This threatening, and possibly functioning object: Lee Bontecou and the Sculptural Void’,ÌýArt History,Ìý29:3 (June 2006), 476-502.
- ‘Small-Scale Boxes: Lucas Samaras and Eva Hesse’,ÌýObject, 4 (2002), 5-24.
Chapters in Books
- ‘Eccentric Abstraction’, ÌýSixties Surreal (New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 2025)
- ‘Nervy Edges: Medardo Rosso and the Sixties’, Medardo Rosso: Inventing Modern Sculpture (Vienna: MUMOK, 2024)
- ‘The Erotic Object’ in Alina Szapocnikow: Body Language (Germany: Kunstmuseum Ravensburg, 2025)
- ‘Warm Up: Mary Heilmann’s Works on Paper’ in Mary Heilmann: Works on Paper (New York: Hauser and Wirth Publishers, 2025), 10-21
- ‘Abstract, Eccentric, Erotic: Alice Adams, Eva Hesse, Louise Bourgeois’, in Abstract Erotic: Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse, Alice Adams, ed. Jo Applin (London: Paul Holberton Publishing, 2025, 14-37.
- ‘A Life’s Work’ in Lifework: On the Autobiographical Impulse in Contemporary Art, Writing, and Theory, ed. Moran Sheleg (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2024)
- ‘Joan Semmel, Secret Spaces’, Capturing the Moment (London: Tate Publishing, 2024)
- ‘Outrageous Abstraction: Senga Nengudi’ and ‘At the Place Vendôme: Dorothea Tanning’ in Louise Bourgeois: Imaginary Conversations, ed. Briony Fer (Oslo: National Museum of Art, 2023), 173-187.
- ‘A Conversation on Carol Rama’, Jo Applin, Mark Godfrey, and Cristina Mundici in Carol Rama (Paris: LGDV, 2022), 14-35.
- ‘Weaving, unweaving: Sheila Hicks’s Misbehaving Materials’ in Sheila Hicks, ed. Andrew Bonacina (Wakefield: The Hepworth Wakefield, 2022)
- ‘Carolee Schneemann’s Constructed Environments’ in Carolee Schneemann: A Retrospective (London: Barbican Art Gallery, 2022), 48-53.
- ‘Cornelia Parker’s Abstractions’ in Cornelia Parker, ed. Andrea Schlieker (London: Tate Publishing, 2022), 74-75.
- ‘Eccentric Abstraction’, ‘Eva Hesse’, and ‘Louise Bourgeois’, entries for Elles font l’abstraction (Paris: Centre Pompidou, 2021), 236-240.
- ‘If I measure it must exist’ in Frances Richardson: If I measure it must exist (London: Karsten Schubert, 2021), 2-8.
- ‘Beatriz Milhazes: Dentro e for a da escultura’ [Beatriz Milhazes: In and Out of Sculpture] in Beatriz Milhazes: Avenida Paulista, ed. Adriano Pedrosa, Amanda Carneiro, and Ivo Mesquita (Sao Paulo: Museo de Arte de São Paolo, 2021), 95-107.
- ‘Note to Self: On the Blurring of Art and Life’ in The Present Prospects of Social Art History, ed. Anthony Grudin and Robert Slifkin (London and New York: Bloomsbury, 2021), 143-159.
- ‘Hannah Wilke’s Agreeable Objects’ inÌýEva Hesse and Hannah Wilke, ed. Eleanor Nairne (New York: Rizzoli, 2020), 78-93.
- Invited statement in Breaking the Mould (Longside Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2020)
- ‘H.C. Westermann’s Complex Present’ inÌýH.C. Westermann: Goin’ Home, ed. Beatriz Velázquez (Madrid: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, 2019), 51-76.
- ‘Rosemarie Trockel: TheÌýVita Activa’ inÌýRosemarie Trockel: The Same Different, ed. Iris Müller-Westermann (Mälmo: Moderna Museet, 2019), 99-105.
- ‘Bird on a Wire’ inÌýIda Applebroog’s Angry Birds of AmericaÌý(Thun: Kunstmuseum Thun, 2019), 11-33.
- ‘Alice Adams: Woven Forms, Eccentric Objects’ inÌýAlice Adams: Woven Forms and Post Minimal SculptureÌý1959-1973Ìý(Boston: David Hall Fine Art, 2018), 1-4.
- ‘Conceptual Devices: Anj Smith’s Painted Worlds’ inÌýAnj Smith, ed. Sarianne Soikkonen (Tampere, Finland: Sara Hildén Museum, 2018), 12-21.
- ‘Where Angels Fear to Tread: Phyllida Barlow’sÌýquarry’ inÌýPhyllida Barlow: quarry, ed. Nicky Wilson (Edinburgh: Jupiter Artland, 2018), 12-22.
- ‘Introduction: London Art Worlds’, with Catherine Spencer and Amy Tobin, inÌýLondon Art Worlds: Mobile, Kinetic, and Ephemeral NetworksÌý1960-1980, eds. Jo Applin, Catherine Spencer and Amy Tobin (University Park: Penn State University Press, 2018), 1-21.
- ‘Cut off Your Nose’ inÌýRachel Maclean: Spite Your Face (London: Zabludowicz Collection, 2018), 16-21.
- ‘Same Old: Ryman’s Repetitions’ inÌýRobert Ryman, eds. Stephen Hoban and Courtney J. MartinÌý(New Haven and London: Yale University Press and Dia Art Foundation, 2017), 311-321.
- ‘Las deserciones de Lee Lozano’ inÌýLee Lozano: Forza la MáquinaÌý(Madrid: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, 2017), 60-87.
- ‘Over the Brink’ inÌýIda Applebroog: Mercy HospitalÌý(New York: Karma Books, 2017), 71-89.
- ‘Reframing the Feminine: Barbara Hepworth, Judy Chicago, Barbro Östlihn and Ilona Keserü’ (London: Stephen Friedman Gallery, 2017), 1-8.
- ‘Yayoi Kusama: Without Beginning, Middle, or End’ inÌýTraumata,Ìýed. Emma Baker (London: Sothebys S/2, 2017), 66-80.
- ‘Talking To The Work of Philippe Vandenberg: A Seminar’ inÌýPhillipe Vandenberg: Absence, etc, with Anna Dezeuze, Maarten Liefooghe, Raphäel Pirenne, Merel van Tilburg, and John C. Welchmann (New York: Hauser and Wirth, 2017), 89-145.
- ‘Figuring Flesh’ inÌýFlesh, ed. Jo Applin (York: York Art Gallery, 2016), 16-29.
- ‘Forgetting Vandenberg’ inÌýPhilippe Vandenberg, ed. Mary Doyle (Brussels: MER, 2016), 121-131.
- ‘Decadent Islander: Richard Smith’ inÌýThis was Tomorrow: The Invention of Pop Art in Great Britain, ed. Uta Ruhkamp (Wolfsburg: Kunstmuseum, 2016), 351-358.
- ‘Kusama’s Object World’ inÌýYayoi Kusama: A RetrospectiveÌý(Humlebaek, Denmark: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2015), 44-77.
- ‘Last Things: Jackson Pollock’s Sculpture’ inÌýJackson Pollock: Blind Spots, ed. Gavin Delahunty (Dallas and London: Dallas Museum of Art and Tate, 2015), 89-101.
- ‘Homesick’ inÌýAdeline de MonseignatÌý(London: Ronchini Gallery, 2014), 11-17.
- ‘Optical Noise: The Sound of Sculpture in the 1960s’ inÌýArt or Sound, eds. Chiara Costa and Germano Celant (Venice: Fondazione Prada, 2014), 207-214.
- ‘Rendez-vous’ inÌýJan De Cock: Everything for YouÌý(Brussels: Atelier Jan De Cock, 2014), 1-7.
- ‘C-Clamp Blues: Eva Hesse’s Relief Work’ inÌýEva Hesse 1965, ed. Barry Rosen (London: Yale University Press, 2013), 40-49.
- ‘When Attitudes Became Formless: Art and Antagonism in the Sixties’ inÌýAÌýCompanion to British Art, eds. Dana Arnold and David Peters Corbett (Oxford: Blackwell, 2013), 180-198.
- ‘Strange Encounters: Claes Oldenburg’s Proposed Monuments for New York and London’ inÌýAnglo-American: Artistic Exchange between Britain and the USA, eds. David Peters Corbett and Sarah Monks (Oxford: Blackwell, 2012), 76-89. Reprinted version of article inÌýArt History, 2011.
- ‘I’m Here but Nothing: Yayoi Kusama’s Environments’ inÌýYayoi Kusama, ed. Frances MorrisÌý(London: Tate Publishing, 2012), 176-186.
- ‘There’s a Sculpture on My Shoulder: Bruce McLean and the Anxiety of Influence’ inÌýAnglo-American Exchange in Post-War Sculpture, ed. Rebecca PeabodyÌý(Los Angeles: Getty Publishing, 2011), 76-89. Reprinted version of article inÌýSculpture Journal, 2008.
- ‘Productive Fictions: Eva Löfdahl’ inÌýEva Löfdahl, Ann-Sofi Noring ed.Ìý(Stockholm: Moderna Museet, 2011), 255-263.
- ‘Looking Back: Prints in the Lurie Collection’ inÌýThe Lurie Collection: British Modern Art at the Yale Center for British Art, eds. Angus Trumble and Eleanor HughesÌý(New Haven: Yale University Press, 2010), 54-60.
- ‘Lozano’s Labor’ inÌýLee Lozano, ed. Iris Müller-Westermann (Stockholm: Moderna Museet/Hatje Cantz, 2010), 116-127.
- ‘Resisting Infinity’ in Yayoi Kusama (London: Victoria Miro Gallery, 2008), n.p.
- ‘Towards a Haunted Art History?’ inÌýTechnologies of Intuition, ed. Jennifer Fisher (Toronto: YYZ Books, 2006), 247-260.
- ‘The Silent Stuff of Sculpture’ inÌýNeat Stuff: Leo FitzmauriceÌý(Colchester: Firstsite and the Arts Council, 2005), n.p.
