Lee Krasner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Krasner
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Krasner in 1983
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Lena Krassner
October 27, 1908 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | June 19, 1984 (aged 75) New York City, U.S.
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| Education | Cooper Union National Academy of Design Hans Hofmann |
| Known for | Painting, collage |
| Movement | Abstract expressionism |
| Spouse(s) | |
Lee Krasner (born Lena Krassner; October 27, 1908 – June 19, 1984) was an important American painter. She was a key artist in the Abstract Expressionist movement in New York. Her art was known for being bold and full of emotion.
Lee Krasner studied art at several schools, including Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design. She became very interested in modern art after visiting the new Museum of Modern Art in 1929. Later, she learned from Hans Hofmann, which helped her add Cubism to her paintings.
During the Great Depression, Krasner worked for the government's Federal Art Project. She even created art for the war effort. By the 1940s, she was a recognized artist in the New York School. She knew many famous painters like Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko.
Krasner married fellow artist Jackson Pollock in 1945. Her career was sometimes overshadowed by his fame. Their marriage faced challenges. Pollock's sudden death in a car accident in 1956 deeply affected her. After his death, Krasner's art became even more expressive.
In her later years, Lee Krasner gained more recognition for her unique style. She created large, colorful paintings with strong lines. After her death in 1984, her work was celebrated with a major exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Today, the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation help keep her artistic legacy alive.
Contents
Lee Krasner's Life and Art
Growing Up and Discovering Art
Lee Krasner was born Lena Krassner on October 27, 1908, in Brooklyn, New York. She was the youngest of six children. Her parents were Jewish-Ukrainian immigrants who came to the United States. They sought safety from difficult times in their home country.
From a young age, Lee knew she wanted to be an artist. She was the only one of her siblings born in the U.S. Her family supported her passion for art.
Learning to Be an Artist
Early Art School Days
Lee Krasner started her art journey early. She chose to attend Washington Irving High School because it offered an art major. After high school, she earned a scholarship to the Women's Art School of Cooper Union. There, she trained to become an art teacher.
She continued her art education at the National Academy of Design from 1928 to 1932. Krasner gained a strong foundation in art. She learned traditional techniques and how to draw the human body accurately. Few of her early works survived a fire, but her "Self Portrait" from 1930 is still admired today.
Exploring Modern Art Ideas
In 1929, the Museum of Modern Art opened, which greatly influenced Krasner. She was excited by Post-Impressionism and other new art styles. This made her question the traditional art she had learned.
In the 1930s, she began studying modern art deeply. She focused on composition, technique, and theory. In 1937, she took classes with Hans Hofmann, a famous teacher. Hofmann taught her to see art in a new way, focusing on color and flat surfaces rather than just copying reality. She explored Cubism in her work during this time.
Hofmann once praised her work, saying it was so good, "you would never know it was done by a woman." Another famous artist, Piet Mondrian, told her, "You have a very strong inner rhythm; you must never lose it."
Starting Her Art Career
Working for the Government
During her studies, Krasner worked as a waitress to support herself. When the Great Depression made jobs scarce, she joined the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project in 1935. She helped create large public murals, often enlarging designs by other artists.
Krasner preferred abstract art, but the murals needed to be easily understood by everyone. She later created collages for the war effort during the War Services era. These were displayed in department store windows.
Joining the Art Community
In 1940, she joined the American Abstract Artists group. Through this group, she met many future Abstract Expressionist artists. These included Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Franz Kline. She exhibited her own cubist-style still lifes with them.
Lee Krasner's Artistic Journey
Lee Krasner is known as an Abstract Expressionist artist. She created abstract, expressive works using painting, collage, and drawing. She often cut up her own art to make new collage paintings. She was very critical of her own work. Sometimes she would even destroy entire series of paintings. This means her surviving artwork is not as large as some other artists.
Her style changed often throughout her career. She moved between structured and free forms, bright and muted colors. Unlike many artists who stick to one recognizable style, Krasner loved to experiment. Despite these changes, her art often showed a strong rhythm and organic shapes. She was interested in herself, nature, and modern life.
Finding Her Own Style in the 1940s
The early 1940s were a challenging time for Krasner. She saw Jackson Pollock's work in 1942 and was deeply impressed. This made her want to move beyond the cubist style she learned from Hofmann. She created what she called "grey slab paintings." These were canvases she worked on for months, adding and scraping off paint. She later destroyed most of these works.
In 1945, Krasner decided to destroy many of her earlier cubist paintings. She was ready to explore new ways of expressing herself.
The "Little Images" Series (1946–1949)
Beginning in 1946, Krasner started her Little Image series. These paintings, about 40 in total, were created until 1949. Some looked like mosaics with thick paint. Others used a drip technique, where the brush stayed close to the canvas. Still others resembled a personal, unreadable script.
These works showed her interest in abstract forms and bold brushwork. They had rich textures from the layers of paint. These "Little Images" are seen as her first successful works created purely from her imagination. She painted them in her small studio at home.
Creating Collages (1951–1955)
By 1951, Krasner began her first series of collage paintings. She would cut and tear shapes from other works. Then she would paste them onto large canvases. She often worked with the canvas on the floor.
These collages often looked like plants or organic forms. She used different materials to create interesting textures. The act of tearing and cutting showed her strong artistic expression. These collages marked a shift in her art. She began creating works that hinted at figures or landscapes.
Some of her collages even included pieces of unwanted splatter paintings by Pollock. This showed how their art was connected. Her collages were first shown in New York in 1955.
The "Earth Green" Series (1956–1959)
In the summer of 1956, Krasner started her Earth Green Series. These large paintings showed strong emotions. They were made with energetic brushstrokes. The figures in these paintings were often a mix of plant-like and body parts.
She used colors like flesh tones with red accents, suggesting deep feelings. The paint drips showed her speed and freedom in expressing herself. By 1957, her figures became more floral and used brighter, more contrasting colors.
In 1958, Krasner was asked to create two abstract murals for a building in Manhattan. This project helped her turn her organic forms into large public artworks.
The "Umber" Series (1959–1961)
Krasner's Umber Series paintings were created during a challenging time. She often painted at night, which led her to use a palette of duller, monochrome colors. These large paintings used mostly white, gray, black, and brown.
Her brushwork was very active, with drips and splatters of paint. These works often looked like powerful and stormy landscapes. To paint such big pieces, she would tack the canvas to a wall.
The "Primary" Series (1960s)
By 1962, Krasner began using bright colors again. Her paintings hinted at floral and plant-like shapes. These works were large and rhythmic, with no single focal point. Their colors often reminded viewers of tropical landscapes.
In 1963, she broke her right wrist. She continued to paint using her left hand. To do this, she sometimes applied paint directly from the tube. This gave her paintings a more restrained, yet still physical, feel.
After recovering, Krasner created bright, decorative paintings. These were less aggressive than her earlier series. They often featured calligraphic or floral patterns.
Later Works and Recognition
By the late 1960s, art critics began to see Krasner's importance in the New York School. Her influence on other artists, including Pollock, became more recognized. Before this, her art was often overlooked because of her relationship with Pollock.
Her first major exhibition was held in London in 1965. It was very well received. In 1969, she focused on works on paper using gouache. These works often looked like Rorschach tests.
Starting in 1970, Krasner made large horizontal paintings. They featured strong lines and bright, contrasting colors. In 1976, she began a second series of collage images. She found old charcoal drawings from 1937 to 1940 in her studio. She used these drawings, cutting and rearranging them.
In these collages, the black and gray shapes of the old drawings were placed against blank canvas or bright paint. The cut shapes were reformed into curved, floral patterns. This series was very popular when shown in 1977. It showed how artists can keep their work fresh and relevant as they grow.
How Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock Influenced Each Other
Lee Krasner never stopped creating art, even when her husband, Jackson Pollock, became very famous. She believed in his talent and helped him gain recognition.
Both artists greatly influenced each other. Krasner, with her knowledge of modern art, helped Pollock learn about contemporary styles. She introduced him to many important artists, collectors, and critics. Pollock, in turn, encouraged Krasner to be less structured in her art. He inspired her to paint more freely and spontaneously.
Krasner faced challenges because she was a woman artist and Pollock's wife. Critics sometimes compared her work to his in ways that didn't fully appreciate her unique style. She sometimes signed her work with just her initials, "L.K.", or blended her signature into the painting. This was to avoid emphasizing her gender or her marital status.
Lee Krasner's Lasting Legacy
Lee Krasner passed away on June 19, 1984, at the age of 75. She had a successful career and managed her husband's estate. At the time of her death, her estate was worth a significant amount.
Six months after her death, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City held a major exhibition of her work. Critics praised it, saying it clearly showed her important place in the New York School. As of 2008, Krasner was one of only four women artists to have such a major show at MoMA.
Her personal papers were given to the Archives of American Art in 1985. They are now available online for researchers.
After her death, her home in East Hampton became the Pollock-Krasner House and Studio. It is now open to the public for tours. The Pollock-Krasner Foundation was also created in 1985. This foundation supports new artists and art history studies.
Krasner's art has achieved high prices at auction. In 2003, her painting Celebration (1960) sold for $1.9 million. In 2019, The Eye is the First Circle (1960) sold for $10 million, setting a new record for her work. Art critic Robert Hughes said, "No one today could persist in calling her a peripheral talent."
Her work has been featured in important exhibitions, including Women of Abstract Expressionism in 2016 and Women in Abstraction in 2021. In 2023, her art was part of Action, Gesture, Paint: Women Artists and Global Abstraction 1940-1970 in London.
Her Personal Story
Her Relationship with Jackson Pollock
Krasner and Jackson Pollock began their relationship in 1942. They met after exhibiting their art at the same gallery. In 1945, they moved to a farmhouse in The Springs, New York, and got married that summer.
They both continued to create art in separate studios at their home. They also enjoyed cooking, gardening, and entertaining friends.
By 1956, their relationship faced difficulties. Lee traveled to Europe for a time. She had to return quickly when Pollock died in a car accident while she was away.
Her Jewish Heritage
Krasner grew up in an orthodox Jewish home in Brooklyn. Her family was deeply connected to their Jewish faith and culture. She appreciated aspects of Judaism like Hebrew script, prayers, and religious stories.
As a teenager, she began to question some aspects of orthodox Judaism. She felt it did not always treat women equally. She also started reading existentialist philosophies, which further shaped her views.
Although she married Pollock in a church, Krasner continued to identify as Jewish. However, she chose not to practice the religion formally. Her background as a Jewish woman has influenced how scholars understand her art.
Where to See Her Art
Many museums around the world display Lee Krasner's artwork. Here are some notable examples:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
- Self Portrait, 1929
- Gansevoort, Number 1, 1934
- Night Creatures, 1965
- Rising Green, 1972
- The Museum of Modern Art, New York City
- Still Life, 1938
- Seated Nude, 1940
- Untitled, 1949
- Number 3 (Untitled), 1951
- Untitled, 1964
- Gaea, 1966
- Other institutions:
- Composition, 1949, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia
- Untitled, 1953, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
- Milkweed, 1955, Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, New York
- Polar Stampede, 1961, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- Gold Stone, 1969, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
- Comet, 1970, Robert Miller (art dealer) Gallery, New York City
- Imperative, 1976, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
- Primary Series, Blue Stone, pre-1982, University of Wisconsin–Stout Furlong Gallery, Menomonie, Wisconsin
Her Art in the Market
Lee Krasner's paintings are highly valued in the art market. In 2003, her painting Celebration (1960) sold for $1.9 million at a Christie's auction. In May 2008, Polar Stampede sold for $3.2 million. In 2019, her painting The Eye is the First Circle (1960) set a new record, selling for $10 million.
See also
In Spanish: Lee Krasner para niños
