A review by wisha
Fierce Poise: Helen Frankenthaler and 1950s New York by Alexander Nemerov

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.