"Mary Heilmann (1940 San Francisco) is a typical example of a leading American artist who is not a household name outside the art world. The pioneering painter, famous mainly in artistic circles, has been injecting abstraction with elements from popular culture and craft traditions since the seventies. Heilmann's straightforward, seemingly nonchalant approach to painting belies an astute and witty dialogue with all sorts of art historical preconceptions; an attitude that now serves as a shining example for artists all over the world - both young and old. The huge critical interest in catalogues of Heilmann's work and the corresponding queues of people waiting to hear her public lectures speak volumes."--P. [4] of cover.