Lee Krasner

Lee Krasner was a renown abstract expressionist painter during the 20th century. She was born on October 27, 1908 and died June 19, 1984. She grew up in New York. Krasner had her training in the Women's Art School of Cooper Union and then, in the Art Students League. Throughout her training, Krasner would maintain an "independent streak" and was always creative with her paintings. She would almost always go against the traditional way of painting at the time, which was realistic self-portraiture. Krasner took attempts on surrealism because it was a different art style and not conservative. She believed that art should not be repetitive, it should be dynamic and challenging. A famous quote was drawn from this belief:

                     "I have never been able to understand the artist whose image never changes."

In October, 1945, Lee Krasner married Jackson Pollock. Jackson Pollock, who was a famous painter for creating the unique style of painting, drip painting was a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. And that was because of the influence Krasner had on Pollock. Her marriage to Pollock led Krasner's creative artwork to be eclipsed by her husband's fame. She was not given the credit that she solely deserved. Pollock was always the one receiving most of the credit while Krasner was always in the shadow. The trend of women's work being overlooked because of their husbands' fame continues to carry on throughout history. However, Krasner knew what the risks and the disadvantage were when she married Pollock. She knew that being married to Pollock meant that she was going to have the responsibility to "promote and manage practical aspects" of Pollock's career. Krasner also knew that her artwork will be taking a back seat while she tends to her duties for her husband and she generously took on her new responsibilities.
               
             "Jackson and I worked side by side for years, and our paintings evolved together."

Lee Krasner was careful not to show work similar to that of Jackson's or else everyone will assume that their style of art started by her husband. It is unfortunate to realize that every time Jackson's name and artwork is mentioned, people do not associate them with Lee Krasner. However, it is the complete opposite with Lee Krasner. Anytime her name and artwork is metioned, almost always they are associated with her husband. After the death of her husband in 1956, Krasner was criticized that her artwork still remain in the shadows even though her influential husband died. In other words, the critics were saying that Krasner did not have any talent, that the talent died with her husband. She continued to work on her paintings regardless of what the critics said.

Blue&Black, 1951-53

Krasner started on collage work by bringing little pieces from her old paintings and putting them together. She also began working on big canvases.This was inspired by Krasner's admired artist, Henri Matisse. Matisse used to do collages based on paper cut outs. Krasner included this technique in her own artwork. For instance, the Blue and Black painting was similar to Matisse's "open-window-and-patterned-curtain" motif in his late paintings. However, Krasner put a twist in her Blue and Black canvas by focusing on making it into a smaller image of the painting itself. Matisse focused more on the depth and flatness, and inside versus outside of his late paintings.

It took a long time for Lee Krasner to receive the recognition she deserved for the paintings that she had done. Krasner, like many other artists mentioned in the Guerrilla Girls' History of Western Art, died before getting to see the great honors that her paintings acclaimed. On December, 1984, the Museum of Modern Art dedicated a gallery for Krasner as "Lee Krasner: A Retrospective." The most interesting thing about her paintings especially the ones Krasner did after the death of her husband; she took control in her paintings and putting forth emotional energy into her artwork that she was not able to do with the paintings that she helped her husband do.

The following video is about additional paintings that Lee Krasner did throughout her life as an abstract expressionist:

                                       
                   
                                                                        Work Cited

Glueck, Grace. "ART: LEE KRASNER FINDS HER PLACE IN RETROSPECTIVE AR MODERN." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Dec. 1984. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/21/arts/art-lee-krasner-finds-her-place-in-retrospective-ar-modern.html?pagewanted=all>.

Shaffer, Jessica. "Lee Krasner Biography, Art, and Analysis of Paintings by TheArtStory." Lee Krasner Biography, Art, and Analysis of Paintings by TheArtStory. The Art Story Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.theartstory.org/artist-krasner-lee.htm>.

The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art. New York: Penguin, 1998. Print.