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miskozverys's review
3.0
It’s the second female painter biography I read, and again - majority of it was focused on romantic relationships. Not art, unfortunately. Im not arguing that this is not important, but it just can’t be the only contributor to artistic expression.
wisha's review
3.0
A bit clunky to read. Author's admiration for Frankenthaler is clear in the opening pages but the style and structure were an obstacle to really digging in. The concept of using a precise date (each chapter) as an insight to a time period in her life seemed more gimmicky than fruitful. The strength of the author was his prose on Frankenthaler, perhaps essays would have been stronger. The book slowed by what seemed like an attempt to turn that into an academic publication. I felt the book suffered from the constant inserting of phrases and quotations and incidental characters; it read like index card notes strung together. I believe passages of pure supposition about how an artist might have gone about creating a piece, or subjective descriptions of a painting, do the artist's legacy a disservice and should be avoided, so could have done without those sections. Also, felt it was a bit heavy on Pollock.
All said, Frankenthaler as an artist is an interesting subject.
All said, Frankenthaler as an artist is an interesting subject.
beesknees13's review
5.0
“A work is great when you are uplifted,” Helen said, “when you gain a sense of order within the work and within yourself.” pg. 47
✨
Fierce Poise: Helen Frankenthaler and 1950s New York: by Alexander Nemerov guides us through Helen Frankenthalers early, and most crucial developmental, years in her life and career. Nemerov takes a personal and biographical yet critical approach of introducing us to Frankenthaler's life as well as her works.
You can tell through his passionate phrases, and referring her by her last name throughout the book instead of by her last name, how much he admires and appreciates Helen's art work, powerful personality and relationships.
✨
I do hope that he decides to possibly write an afterward or another biography of Helen's life after she turned 40. I did appreciate that he stopped at her 40th birthday, even though biographies generally end at the end of a persons life, the ending point being at her 40th birthday when Helen felt her most confident and happy, was a nice halt and archival of a positive point in her past. As stated towards the end of Chapter 11 and the CODA chapter "I saw her many times in all sorts of settings and I always found real beauty in her being. She had a beauty in her movements and how she placed herself, whether standing, walking or sitting" The beauty was "physical, yes" but also that of a radiant soul." pg. 215 and "Helen glowed because she was happy, she glowed because she had looked frankly fortieth birthday party which took place two months before the Whitney show". pg. 216
✨
From the Life magazine photos of Helen posing with her work and the photographs of her dancing her paint onto the canvas, you can tell she is as radiant as her friends describe her. With the biography ending on a note when Helen, at least from her friends and family perspective, appeared to be at her happiest and most radiant, was a lovely homage and tribute to the Frankenthaler.
✨
If you are looking to learn more about Helen Frankenthaler and Post-war 1950's New York art scene, this biography is a good introduction. Highly recommend! ✨
✨
Fierce Poise: Helen Frankenthaler and 1950s New York: by Alexander Nemerov guides us through Helen Frankenthalers early, and most crucial developmental, years in her life and career. Nemerov takes a personal and biographical yet critical approach of introducing us to Frankenthaler's life as well as her works.
You can tell through his passionate phrases, and referring her by her last name throughout the book instead of by her last name, how much he admires and appreciates Helen's art work, powerful personality and relationships.
✨
I do hope that he decides to possibly write an afterward or another biography of Helen's life after she turned 40. I did appreciate that he stopped at her 40th birthday, even though biographies generally end at the end of a persons life, the ending point being at her 40th birthday when Helen felt her most confident and happy, was a nice halt and archival of a positive point in her past. As stated towards the end of Chapter 11 and the CODA chapter "I saw her many times in all sorts of settings and I always found real beauty in her being. She had a beauty in her movements and how she placed herself, whether standing, walking or sitting" The beauty was "physical, yes" but also that of a radiant soul." pg. 215 and "Helen glowed because she was happy, she glowed because she had looked frankly fortieth birthday party which took place two months before the Whitney show". pg. 216
✨
From the Life magazine photos of Helen posing with her work and the photographs of her dancing her paint onto the canvas, you can tell she is as radiant as her friends describe her. With the biography ending on a note when Helen, at least from her friends and family perspective, appeared to be at her happiest and most radiant, was a lovely homage and tribute to the Frankenthaler.
✨
If you are looking to learn more about Helen Frankenthaler and Post-war 1950's New York art scene, this biography is a good introduction. Highly recommend! ✨
bkish's review
4.0
Helen Frankthaler was an artist in NYC in the 50s and up to her death in 2011. This is her story as told by alexander Nemerov who seems to have a fair knowledge of Art and who did research to compile this history of 10y in her life the early years.
I have a great love of Art and a fairly good knowledge especially modern art figurative and abstract. I knew her name and not her paintings and the author had some knowledge of her as she was a student of his father at Bennington.
She developed a style of painting I believe based on her experience of Pollack and she was not at his level. Helen Frankenthaler was jewish and came from a very prosperous family and her father who died young was a State Supreme court judge.
I think that Nemerov liked her and her art and yet I could find nothing about her to like.
So this biography covering only 10 y in her life explores her relationships to her own family, her relationships to men (I did not know that she and Motherwell married and divorced)) her development as an artist and her fierce determination to gain fame as an artist.
I believe that Nemerov was partial to her and yet he reveals from his research very disturbing aspects of Helen Frankenthaler during that period of time.
I am going to seek out some of her paintings here and when I return to NYC for a visit....
Judy g
I have a great love of Art and a fairly good knowledge especially modern art figurative and abstract. I knew her name and not her paintings and the author had some knowledge of her as she was a student of his father at Bennington.
She developed a style of painting I believe based on her experience of Pollack and she was not at his level. Helen Frankenthaler was jewish and came from a very prosperous family and her father who died young was a State Supreme court judge.
I think that Nemerov liked her and her art and yet I could find nothing about her to like.
So this biography covering only 10 y in her life explores her relationships to her own family, her relationships to men (I did not know that she and Motherwell married and divorced)) her development as an artist and her fierce determination to gain fame as an artist.
I believe that Nemerov was partial to her and yet he reveals from his research very disturbing aspects of Helen Frankenthaler during that period of time.
I am going to seek out some of her paintings here and when I return to NYC for a visit....
Judy g