“I like a canvas to breathe and be alive. Be alive is the point.” -- Lee Krasner
Lee Krasner, born to Ukrainian-Jewish refugees in Brooklyn, California, in 1908, stands as a trailblazing figure within the Abstract Expressionist movement. Yet, for many years, her artistic career lived in the shadow of her husband, Jackson Pollock.
Well before her union with Pollock in 1942, Krasner was a strong and ambitious painter. Her training under Hans Hofmann introduced her to Cubism, and she drew inspiration from artistic luminaries like Picasso, Matisse, and Mondrian. These influences were evident in her early work and continued to shape her artistry throughout her lifetime.
Krasner's exploration of abstraction commenced in the 1930s, and it rapidly garnered acclaim for its intricate and rhythmic compositions. While her early pieces bore the marks of Cubism and Surrealism, it was during her tumultuous marriage to Pollock that she found her unique voice in abstract art. Immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of New York's abstract expressionist scene, Krasner allowed this energy to infuse her work.
It was artist Graham who played the matchmaker between Krasner and Jackson Pollock. In 1942, both artists were featured in Graham's significant exhibition, "French and American Painting," hosted in a midtown New York antique furniture store. Krasner's curiosity led her to Pollock's door, marking the beginning of a turbulent relationship that would significantly impact her own career.
Krasner introduced Pollock to a network of artists, gallerists, and, most notably, art critic Clement Greenberg, who championed Pollock's work. In 1945, Krasner and Pollock married and relocated to Springs, East Hampton, on Long Island, seeking respite from the bustling city life.
It was here that Krasner embarked on her groundbreaking "Little Images" series, with canvases compact enough to fit on a bedside table. She experimented with mosaicked tabletops and created compositions dense with hieroglyphic-like forms, often applying paint directly from the tube. Krasner also delved into collage, utilizing discarded paper and canvas scraps, a tribute to her admiration for Henri Matisse.
Lee Krasner with Stop and Go, ca. 1949
Her work over five decades reflects perpetual, restless reinvention, encompassing portraits, Cubist drawings, collage, assemblage, and large-scale abstract masterpieces.
In 1956, while Krasner was in Europe, Pollock tragically passed away in a car accident. A year later, she moved into the barn studio Pollock had used on their property, and her paintings began to evolve in scale and energy. Nature became a central theme, exemplified by works like "The Seasons" (1957), spanning 17 feet, and "Gaea" (1966), an ode to the Greek earth goddess, marked by expansive swathes of color and rhythm. In 1965, she held her inaugural solo exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in London, followed by a significant show at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1975.
Lee Krasner 'The Seasons', 1957 (Whitney Museum of American Art)
She died in 1984, just a few months before her retrospective opened at MoMA.
Today, Krasner's paintings can be found in several prominent museums and art institutions around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Tate.