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pixie_d's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. A necessary corrective for sexist art history and business practices, but it doesn't read as polemical. The author's clear, steady prose made it easy going, like reading an old-fashioned series of biographies marketed for children (I mean this in the best way), except none of the adult subject matter was left out. Of the five featured artists in this book, I definitely came away with a favorite and a least-favorite (although in truth I couldn't imagine being able to hang out with any of them due to all the smoking and other bad behavior!) But my conclusions were not manipulated by the author, who, beyond being thorough and unbiased, treated her subjects with warmth and sensitivity (another quality that reminded me of those bygone reading experiences).
Reading this book was also an easy, and again probably necessary, way to read explanations of life during wartime and the mid-century aftermath. You will come away with an understanding not only of what this group of artists painted, but why.
Don't let the length deter you from reading: it's not *quite* as long as it looks, since there are over a hundred pages of footnotes, not to mention an extensive bibliography and index. That right there tells you how well researched this book is, a massive undertaking, which makes the way she managed to organize the material even more impressive.
This is not just a story of five artists. There's a huge cast of characters, and she gives at least capsule biographies of each one. She also mentions the titles of plenty of paintings, which allows plenty of opportunities to Google images, one of my favorite activities when reading true stories. (Three sections of pictures in the book, too!)
Reading this book was also an easy, and again probably necessary, way to read explanations of life during wartime and the mid-century aftermath. You will come away with an understanding not only of what this group of artists painted, but why.
Don't let the length deter you from reading: it's not *quite* as long as it looks, since there are over a hundred pages of footnotes, not to mention an extensive bibliography and index. That right there tells you how well researched this book is, a massive undertaking, which makes the way she managed to organize the material even more impressive.
This is not just a story of five artists. There's a huge cast of characters, and she gives at least capsule biographies of each one. She also mentions the titles of plenty of paintings, which allows plenty of opportunities to Google images, one of my favorite activities when reading true stories. (Three sections of pictures in the book, too!)
hermit_essa's review against another edition
5.0
A must read for lovers of art history. It’s rare one reads a work of non-fiction that is so engrossing it feels as if you are part of its time and place. The frantic 1950s New York art scene was a pretty cool place to spend my precious reading time this month. Over 700 pages of meticulously researched material that celebrates women in art and elucidates the dawn of the modern art market as we know it today. Fascinating!
gnatroberts's review against another edition
4.0
I have mixed feeling about this book. On the one hand it does a wonderful job of not only highlighting but contextualizing five brilliant artists who remain undervalued to this day. And the writing does a marvelous job of immersing the reader in their world and times. However, I would say the book is marred by two flaws, one minor, one major. The minor is only that the writing gets a little repetitive by the end of the book, in terms of phrasing, word choice, and exposition. That impression may just be the product of my listening to the book over the course of a long car trip.
The major issue I have with Ninth Street Women is that the author seems to buy into the narrative the New York School artists told about themselves, to the detriment of the writing. Obviously, this book is based mostly on first-person accounts of the 'scene,' but Gabriel (to my mind) doesn't exercise enough editorial discretion when discerning what is literally true and what the feeling of the community was. This leads to this book perpetuating some pernicious myths about a life in the arts (e.g. that genius somehow excuses abusive behavior, that great art cannot be widely understood/appreciated, that financial stability is bad for artists). It's important to report what the perception of the New York artists were at that time, but it's equally important to temper their perceptions with both outside commentary and impartial analysis. For instance, when discussing Jackson Pollock's death and vehicular manslaughter of Edith Metzger, Gabriel does not mince words when describing Pollock's sadistic tendencies. But afterwards, his killing of an innocent young woman is not brought up in the myriad discussions of Pollock's legacy, and his generalized abusive behavior is mentioned only in veiled terms. Pollock was no doubt an influential artist, but it's insidious to discuss his legacy without mentioning how he contributed to the archetype of the 'misunderstood, abusive genius,' an idea that has real-world consequences.
Overall, I appreciate this book for introducing/re-introducing me to some great artists, I just wish the narrative voice wasn't so complicit in the New York Scene's self-mythology.
The major issue I have with Ninth Street Women is that the author seems to buy into the narrative the New York School artists told about themselves, to the detriment of the writing. Obviously, this book is based mostly on first-person accounts of the 'scene,' but Gabriel (to my mind) doesn't exercise enough editorial discretion when discerning what is literally true and what the feeling of the community was. This leads to this book perpetuating some pernicious myths about a life in the arts (e.g. that genius somehow excuses abusive behavior, that great art cannot be widely understood/appreciated, that financial stability is bad for artists). It's important to report what the perception of the New York artists were at that time, but it's equally important to temper their perceptions with both outside commentary and impartial analysis. For instance, when discussing Jackson Pollock's death and vehicular manslaughter of Edith Metzger, Gabriel does not mince words when describing Pollock's sadistic tendencies. But afterwards, his killing of an innocent young woman is not brought up in the myriad discussions of Pollock's legacy, and his generalized abusive behavior is mentioned only in veiled terms. Pollock was no doubt an influential artist, but it's insidious to discuss his legacy without mentioning how he contributed to the archetype of the 'misunderstood, abusive genius,' an idea that has real-world consequences.
Overall, I appreciate this book for introducing/re-introducing me to some great artists, I just wish the narrative voice wasn't so complicit in the New York Scene's self-mythology.
scottapeshot's review against another edition
2.0
Poorly written, terribly composed. Full of over-privileged drama and romance novel depictions. A waste of time.
amh007's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
4.75
A stunning work of scholarship.
cocomind's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
amlagunas's review against another edition
5.0
Vivid and engrossing! The biographer does a fantastic job of conveying what it felt like to live through an era or event rather than just telling you what happened.
waybeyondblue's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Car accident
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment