When Lee Krasner Harnessed the Power of the Sun on Canvas

The established narrative of art history—especially the story of the abstract expressionist movement—often omits the significant contributions made by women. But, in this episode of Expert Voices, reconsider that narrative with Author and Journalist Mary Gabriel as she explores the life of Lee Krasner through the artist’s monumental painting Sun Woman I. Executed in 1957, a year after the death of her husband Jackson Pollock, Sun Woman I is one of the largest and most important paintings from Krasner’s celebrated Earth Green series. The masterpiece’s bright hues and looping lines rejoice in femininity, challenging the prevailing machismo of the age. The series is widely considered as the pivotal moment of her career, and even the notoriously competitive Willem de Kooning recognized that Krasner had “truly arrived” upon viewing her work. Sun Woman I, included in Krasner’s groundbreaking 1983-85 traveling retrospective, will be offered as a highlight of Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction (14 November | New York)

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[eoinllewellyn]

Lee Krasner is a genius. When I travelled to the states 10 years ago I cam across these paintings by an artist I had never heard of. How was it one could know Rothko, De Kooning, Still, Rauschenberg and Frankenthaler and Pollock and not know these amazing paintings. Pollock collapses next to Krasner, s works.

[peegee]

Love Ninth Street Women, which should be a mini series, and this video that brings it to life.

[dustyeyer]

Lee Krasner finally getting the respect she deserves, it sure took long enough.

[jamesthompson]

9th Street Women is a great book. And Lee's paintings rock.

[leonardoluc]

Geweldige artist, love the season & sun painting she is underrated as an Artist woman in that period not so easy. When Willem de Kooning gives an Artist a compliment its huge. Please why are people leaving negative comments on this great artist is so sad.

[lynnaliya]

I love Lee and LOVEEEE!!! Mary Gabriel’s book!!!

[anastasiagudko]

Amazing video and narration, images, and music 🎶 🎉 I love every second of it! 🫶

[ghoulape]

Weirdly enough I feel some of those feelings as a African American artist.

[antonkolesnikov]

Amazing artist.
Please! What is the soundtrack in the beginning of the video?

[studioandydna]

Most have called this art movement abstract art or abstract expressionism, but these interpretations do not match because this art movement is called neo-impressionism or neo-expressionism. In Berlin in the 1980s, a group of artists called Neue Wilde was known for this art movement. Today they are no longer relevant for the art market because back then it was marketing and is still today.

[KeyDyer]

Lee Krasner was a gangster, I love her

[jhb]

Never gets past the initial sketching.

[cliffdariff]

courage? if you are an artist, that's what you do. stop with making her out to be a martyr.

[bigboy-rt]

Drinking, smoking, womanizing.- You wonder what made her become attached to Pollock.

[jacekpokrak]

compmaturism give art a chance to be a new way

[ef]

Must have taken all of 15 minutes to paint.

[isaiasxd]

Withe people telling us, wath art is.
Why? Because, they have the money

[Mike-ymrl]

Her paintings are too big for the average home....that might have been the reason for not selling her work.

[junelee]

Reallyawful painting. Pleasedon’t try to fool anybody. Rich and stupid ppl may buy though

[khalilac]

Forget about abstract art and the meaning of it. But if she was sad, and painting a picture that was happy, doesnt that make her an objectively bad painter? One that isnt even able to express how she really feels? Polar opposites. Bad painter but great marketing, that's the real art in all this