Reviews

9th Street Women: Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler: Five Painters and the Movement That Changed Modern Art by Mary Gabriel

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cwalsh's review against another edition

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5.0

Did I finish this book or did this book finish me?

This is literally the book of my dreams.

beesknees13's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

5.0

rainbowbookworm's review against another edition

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2.0

As someone who happily devours 900+ page books if they’re compelling enough—like Jeffrey C. Stewart’s The New Negro—I eagerly picked up Ninth Street Women by Mary Gabriel. I was excited to delve into a hefty tome that promised to shed light on the lives and works of five pioneering women in the abstract art movement. Unfortunately, while this book is undoubtedly well-written and meticulously researched, it didn’t quite give me what I was hoping for.

Gabriel’s Ninth Street Women is, without question, a fascinating read. It vividly captures the turbulent world of postwar America and the boldness of Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler as they fought for recognition in a male-dominated art world. However, rather than focusing on these women’s lives and creative contributions, the narrative often detours into the stories of their male counterparts, including other male artists, poets, and cultural figures of the era.

I understand that contextualizing these women’s work within the broader art movement is essential, but at times, I felt the spotlight was more on the men than on the women. As a result, the book didn’t deliver on the promise of centering the extraordinary women who helped shape modern art. While I appreciate Gabriel’s effort and skill in crafting this expansive history, I found myself wanting more about the artists I picked up the book to read about.

Overall, Ninth Street Women is a beautifully written account of an important era, but it may leave readers like me who were looking for a more focused exploration of these trailblazing women feeling somewhat dissatisfied.