Knit to This
Death of an Artist
Here’s a podcast that will get you happily through a few hours of knitting, stitching, or driving, at the end of which you will know more about groundbreaking modern artist Lee Krasner, who is definitely worth knowing more about.
The death in Season 2 of the podcast Death of an Artist is Jackson Pollock’s. But the story starts and ends with his wife, Lee Krasner—she is the main character.
The daughter of a large Orthodox Jewish family in New York, Krasner left home at 19 and went to art school, which was an extraordinary thing for any young woman to do at the time. An early visit to the Museum of Modern Art, then in its infancy, changed her life forever and made her devote her talent to making this new and exciting art.
She was brilliant at it, achieving early success, respect, and renown. In addition to her gifts as an artist, she had charisma, backbone, and determination.
Then she met Jackson Pollock. Savvy about her iffy prospects as a woman artist and also deeply in love, she put her work on the back burner and devoted her life to his career, with spectacular results. In their East Hampton farmhouse, he got the barn for his studio; she got an upstairs bedroom for hers. Her main jobs were trying to keep him from drinking while also masterminding the chess moves that made him famous. He could have had no greater or more intelligent dealer or promoter in his corner.
Jackson famously did Lee dirty. He broke her heart, and he died in a sordid car wreck, leaving her without enough money to bury him. Yet she triumphed by believing in his work and being a masterful and fearless negotiator.
It’s a great tale, and it’s all hers.
Late in life, she returned to art and made work that will last forever; yet she is remembered first and foremost as Pollock’s longsuffering wife.
So: there you have it, my cynical but I believe fair version of the story. The podcast tells it fully and well, if you don’t mind a true-crime style of presentation rife with contrived cliffhangers like “after the break…” and stuff like that.
I didn’t mind it; I was riveted by the story and the voices, which conjure a bygone era of America and art. We get to hear Krasner’s own reminiscences, and detailed remembrances of others who knew her and Pollock and their world well. Peggy Guggenheim even makes an appearance, so there is glamour to spare!
Seems like a theme this weekend. I watched the Billy Joel documentary on HBO last night and its a similar story arc (except Billy only has a brush with death). I went to bed sad and sorry that my enjoyment of so many songs is tarnished now. Sometimes you really don’t want to go behind the scenes.
I absolutely live my Jackson Pollock cookbook. I will absolutely check out this documentary. Thank you,
Thank you for sharing this Kay! Can’t wait to listen.
Your email this morning reminds me of the novel “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks in which the novel (fiction) recounts the factual account of Martha Jackson, a New York art lover and dealer, making a trade with Jackson Pollack – her green convertible for two of his paintings.
I’d forgotten that, such a great book!
I loved HORSE by Geraldine Brooks. So good!
Thank you! I’ve been wracking my brain trying to remember which book I had read a part of this story in…..
Horse came to my mind immediately also!
This sounds like a good listen! I cannot watch TV and knit, but this sounds like fun. Thanks!
Sounds like a good one and a good series, thanks Kay!
The Death of an Artist podcast about Ana Mendieta & her husband Carl Andre is also great. Her death is unresolved and was labeled a suicide, but it doesn’t add up for most people.
The Death of an Artist podcast about Ana Mendieta & her husband Carl Andre is also great. Her death is unresolved and was labeled a suicide, but it doesn’t add up for most people.
Thanks for recommending! I find knitting and listening to podcasts or radio or audio books the most enjoyable part of my routine during these turbulent times. The “listening” part is essential to turning off my otherwise depressing thoughts—something I’ve not been able to achieve through meditation.
I can totally relate.
Just for reference…
Krasner born in 1908 making it 1927 when she left home at 19
MOMA opened in 1929
Trying to figure out why I know this story I tracked it down (Google + IMDB + Wiki) to the movie POLLACK with Marcia Gay Harden as Lee Krasner. She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Always looking for a good podcast – thanks, I’m on it!
Thanks Kay! Always like your recommendations. Going into my Overcast queue right now.
Thank you!
Back in 2016 the Denver Art Museum had a fabulous exhibit entitled “Women of Abstract Expressionism “ which included,among others,work by Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler and Elaine de Kooning. Amazing voices in an art world that was so much run by men. Will have to check out the podcast to continue my understanding of her groundbreaking work. Thanks for the rec.
I always love the Sunday posts!
I have been to her house in Springs. He was lucky to have her. I have always found her work intriguing.
I really want to hear this – Thanks!
And may I also suggest a great long knitting, driving, whatever you are doing listen on that topic
Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel – all about Lee Krasner and her cohort – and it puts it all in historical context as well. It’s many hours but the kind of read or listen that you can put down for a week or two and pick it back up without missing anything. I was particularly interested in how the history fit in. New York finally became seen as a center of art as so many prominent European artists had to flee from the oncoming horrors of WWII and settled there.
Although it is titled Ninth Street Women there is a lot about the Ninth Street Men as well.
The women were amazing. But hard times for sure.
Catching up on MDK posts so late to this particular party. Ana Mendieta’s story was the basis for the book “Anita de Monte Laughs Last” by Xochitl Gonzalez (2024?). Her story is intertwined with the story of a current art student who is researching her. I listened to the audiobook last year (haven’t yet figured out how to knit and read at the same time). I don’t recall that the author makes any actual reference to Ana Mendieta but once I found out it was a real person, I looked into her story on my own. Didn’t know about this podcast but now have it cued up! Thanks!