Lee Krasner: A Biography
Lee Krasner was born in 1908 in Brooklyn, New York, USA, to parents who were Russian Jews and emigrated to the United States from Moldavia (frequently and historically referred to as Bessarabia) in the early 1900s. She began to earn her formal artistic chops at the Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design.
Like many of her contempories she contributed to and participated in the the visual arts segment of the Works Progress Administration program, known as the Federal Art Project. The German born yet culturally American painter Hans Hoffmann stood as Krasner's primary mentor beginning in the year 1937; he introduced her to cubism and the techniques espoused by that school of art. Hoffman did much to direct Krasner's attention and concentration of her art on abstractionist principles. Three years into her mentorship with Hoffman, in 1940, she began to present her work to fellow cohorts of the American Abstract artists' group.
For better of for worse, Lee Krasner is best known for her relationship with Jackson Pollock, who stood as the inarguable leader of the American abstractionist movement. They first met in 1942, and three years later the pair wed one another. The couple then moved from New York City to the East Hamptons, in order to concentrate more successfully on their own artistic sensibilities.
Pollock eventually grew socially unstable, and in 1956 he suffered a fatal automobile accident. Krasner was essential in the movement that eventually led to Pollock's canonization in art history, and she did much to patron his work up until her own demise in 1984. As a result of her dedication to Pollock's memory, Krasner's own contribution remained consequently overshadowed until a very important 1981 art show confirmed Krasner as Pollock's artistic collaborator, and not his underling or inferior.
Krasner's own work is typified by a more petite focus of scope than her contemporaries, as well as by a rigorous commitment to maintaining the integrity of figures and shapes as they appeared in her art. After Pollock's death, Krasner's grief could be detected in her artwork of the time and its broad, dark, less shapely strokes and directions. Krasner herself has earned a reputation as an artist of the highest rank, and her work is housed the world's most respected and visited museums and galleries.
Additional Resources
Pollock Krasner House and Study Center. This is the official website for the famous Study Center, made out of the home of the famous artist couple. Visiting the page will let you glance on some of Krasner's best works.
Artcyclopedia. This is an excellent and important directly of Lee Krasner's work and life story as they both appear throughout the World Wide Web. Stop here before going to your local gallery, to see if one of Krasner's pieces might be there.
Art Net. This site allows you to study and examine the history of Krasner's paintings and works as they have appeared in various auctions throughout the world. Works currently for sale also appear here, and you can learn how to attempt to purchase them.
Lee Krasner at the Brooklyn Museum. This is an excellent review and article on a recent retrospective of Krasner's work at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City. Readers will glean unprecedented insights into her artistic process here.
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation. This site details the valiant efforts of this organization to support and patron the next generation of outstanding artists. You can also read about how Krasner's legacy has influenced the current art scene.
Oral history of Lee Krasner. This is a rare and invaluable resource for anyone particularly impassioned by Krasner's life and art. In this link, Krasner herself delivers her story with enchanting personal anecdotes and narratives.