This debut is an engaging queer reflection on what is modern and what remains when all things are questionable
The Modern is a reflective and playful debut novel about Sophia, a young Australian woman who works at MoMA in New York and loves art more than she loves her partner. Surprised by his recent proposal, Sophia looks to art history and her new connection with Cara, an artist working in a bridal shop, to understand brides and marriage in a modern light. As her partner leaves to trek the Appalachian trial, Sophia grows closer to Cara and attempts to reconciles queer identity with visibility, informed by the archives of modern artists she studies who defy convention to create lasting works of art that reflect their true inner worlds.
This debut is an engaging queer reflection on what is modern and what remains when all things are questionable. Against the backdrop of an energetic city and the unstable category of modern art, The Modern looks at what it means to exist in flux: living abroad, shuttling between temporary jobs, facing up to society’s expectations. I loved the depth Anna Kate Blair goes into when discussing the history of female artists that explore marriage in their work, as well as the thoughtful nature of Sophia’s insights as she deconstructs her world.