I am just at WWII in the deKooning bio and it is already a terrific read. It is fascinating to see how modern art in NYC develops - to see the European surrealists arrive on the scene - to see how all the players come together - through proximity, personality, money, marriage, etc. A lot of this information is stuff that you 'already know' but to have it laid out so organically and in context of one artist puts a new spin on things. It is more digestible as information this way - and more personal. I highly, highly recommend.
It is also bringing up tons of art questions. The art world of NYC today is so striated, vast and different but at times certain scenarios from then remain true today (patronage, cliques, critics). What I am continually stunned/perplexed/confused by is deKooning's devotion to painting and his conflict/drive to find the 'new' and the traditional (my opinion). His rejection of a regular job and wages for more time to paint. Rejection to the point of poverty with no regard for the future. He was a pretty successful commercial artist making a good living even through part of the depression but he gave it up to commit to painting. there was a belief that this was an ok way to live and the number of artists who do this. And i am talking about people in their 30's and 40's, not a recent MFA who works as a bartender. There was no art market. No hope. The only support system was just the other artists living around you that you knew from around town. In some ways I am very jealous of this world. I feel this scenario almost impossible in NYC these days - unless you are a sex worker one day a week, or have a trust fund, or figure out some other secret method of getting a lot of money with no time commitment.
I wonder if i should quit my job.
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Was much easier back then to just scrape by. I envy the stories too of people that would just go bum around paris for a year without a care in the world. Thanks to Corcoran, you have to move to deep Apalacia now to experience this.
i figured you would have read this already PD! It is so compelling. It makes me want to go back and re-examine so many artists' works as i read about their lives.
One thing to remember though FB: the art world in those days was not very welcoming to female artists. But it was certainly easier in other ways; i.e., you could find a huge commercial space for pennies, etc.
sloth, GOOD POINT!!!!
Call me crazy but I like to pretend that us bloggers are like the NY School painters hanging out at the Cedar's bar, except it's in the ether, less alcoholic and less punches thrown. I am dreamy this way.
right on mm. that's the way. and i do think there is something in this blogging stuff - really.
my problem is that reading the book on my way to my corporate office job in the morning depresses me. you know, look at what a great artist i am. i wonder - should i be taking more risks? am i taking my art seriously enough? it's tough to sort out.
but instead i will sit in a beige pen another long day wasting my time for a small amount of money. but...i have never lived "hand to mouth" like the deKoonings do. I just don't feel comfortable with that, probably due to my upbringing and general temperment. I like to have a certain amount of order in my life. when I have been without work I never get any art done anyway - instead i spend my time worrying about how i am going to pay my bills. so = i answered that question.
i just experienced a profound TPS report moment. Daiel calls it being "lumberged." I feel sick.
i no codey good.
MM, I kind of agree with you on the ether group. Been thinking about community and Internet (it all goes back to the McLuhan stuff I am analyzing.)
The validity of the blog artists school of painting is not lessened just because it takes place in the non-physical world.
FB, sorry about your TPS. PC Load Letter?
is it too late to comment on an old posting? will anyone see this? anyway, i had to comment as im reading this book now. i just read the part last night where he is 60 years old, living with joan ward and their daughter on L.I. and he goes on a bender drinking and sneaks into his next door neighbors house who he doesnt know yet and hides there from joan and the world. of course it is two young women in their 20's. he proceeds to become involved with one girl (26) and when he emerges from his drink binge he is no longer with joan and he and the girl move in together and remain together for two years. he never speaks to joan ward about this and she leaves and goes back to nyc. hello? wtf? he really was an emotional cripple. great book for sure.
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