I've always loved Mitchell (and had that same emotional response you note) over the rest of those tedious drunken windbags, but hadn't know anything at all about her personally. An interesting capsule summary of her that whets the appetite for something more. I recommend that you shell out for some actual book reproductions of her work, though, so you can be sure the colors are right.
Also, can't believe you didn't mention that she and Edward Gorey were childhood friends who disliked each others' work but per wikipedia at least stayed friendly. Pointless but delightful.
Mitchell lavished the best of her intolerably abrasive self on her paintings and her adored dogs, apparently the only creatures she could love without reservation. Her painting of the poodle George, who got too cold splashing in the ocean, radiates love, empathy and grief. George died a few years before she painted it. I've seen this painting a number of times, most recently in a Mitchell retrospective at the Baltimore Museum of Art. If you love dogs, it may move you to tears.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment - I’m going to look up the painting of George the poodle. Any dog lover would understand her grief and it’s great that she was able to love and be loved by these gorgeous creatures at least. They give and receive so unconditionally.
The painting lives at the Buffalo AKG, a splendid museum well worth a trip to Buffalo. Like most of Mitchell’s work, it’s large and reproductions don’t capture its beauty.
Many thanks for that information and I’m sorry I missed seeing this before now. Unfortunately I can’t see myself making it to Buffalo from Ireland but you never know!!😁 It’s always so different to see a painting in reality and to be able to examine the surface up close. Thanks again.
Thank you for your comment! It inspired me to learn more about George, which led me to this older piece of writing about Mitchell's approach to painting. "The dog, George, became the mnemonic catalyst which provided the remembered attitude, and the beach in East Hampton furnished the remembered landscape image, although once the painting was started, it took over." https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/mitchell-paints-a-picture-2121/
Nicely done. As you're probably aware, there are some digital riffs on Mitchell on display at MoMA that I happened to notice a few days ago. "Painting Paintings" is the exhibit. Not convinced it works, but . . .
More generally, my emotional response to abstract expressionism seems to be fading. I think this has to do with how present historical consciousness helps lend meaning. And while the critical weight might burden your engagement with the first generation, you yourself are using "gossip" as an avenue to some sort of appreciation. But part of it might be that I'm about the age these folks died, and the pathos of late middle age, etc., is certainly real enough, but mere "feeling" (Rothko) isn't very interesting, frankly. I might write about this. Anyway, kudos.
I don’t know if it’s apparent but “Kotex painter” refers to Frankenthaler‘s raw cotton, stained canvases, perhaps a bit too facile a solution for Mitchell. She also said wittily of Warhol, “all cash and no cathedral,” referring to Monet’s series of church paintings. Whatever their romantic relationship, you can see lots of exchanges of ideas in Michael Goldberg’s and Joan Mitchell’s paintings of the late fifties - especially the pretty radical one of placing big strokes of white over color passages as a kind of sign for “raw canvas.” There’s an excellent small catalogue by Paul Schimmel worth seeking out that covers the “old hat” (Mitchell’s self-deprecating term) Second Generation Abstract-Expressionists, “Action-Precision” (Newport, 1985). Schimmel talks about the precise construction of Mitchell’s paintings, comparing their basis to “a highly structured armature not unlike Mondrian’s trees.” Of “Evenings on 73rd Street”: “a boisterous, unforgiving image of happy time spent with close friends, drinking and listening to records”at the Stable Gallery on 73rd Street. Her art acc to Schimmel, “strives for the perfect moment when the balance between beauty and destruction have been realized and the painting ‘comes upon itself and stays still.’” Also perhaps a metaphor for her life.
Thank you for pointing out the context of the kotex remark. I had assumed it was a jab at the other painter as a woman and, therefore, a user of Kotex products.
Thank you for this piece. I so enjoyed your candor and colorful details in the part about the Paris Pompidou letdown. Gotta admit I had not heard of Joan Mitchell so I appreciate the intro. It can be hard to put into words sometimes why we gravitate to certain pieces of art, and you did a great job at it.
It’s all about the ‘art’! Only the ‘art’. Dont look at me. BUT DO LOOK AT ME! Don’t ignore me, I matter! Ignore me I’m ugly. But don’t ignore me, love me, lust me! Let’s be profoundly intimate, but don’t touch me. Use me as I use you. Love me, invite me into the deepest parts of your life! BUT don’t touch me……etc etc etc…..
Hmmmmmm, no thank you, I’ll just have the CornFlakes
The first time I saw a Frankenthaler in the AGO, I was drawn in by what I felt was an extreme "physicality" on display rather than anything like emotion. At the time, I had no idea who she was, so no context at all. Just the raw response to a painting.
What a great read. I loved the author's perspective and great wit. It was like a friend telling me a good travel story mixed in with an interesting cultural story that turns into an unexpected peek into the life and character of a very unique artist. It left me wanting more and now I'll go delve further into the life and works of Joan Mitchell. Bravo!
If you're in New York, which I it sounds like you are? You can see Joan Mitchells whenever you want right here in New York! MoMA and Whitney both have one on display right now and David Zwirner frequently has exhibitions of her work, other galleries often show her work as well. Ninth Street Women is a great multi person biography that came out a few years ago on Joan, Helen, Grace, and other women in the 2nd wave.
If to say a piece is culturally above me, or just plain "above me" is a compliment, this writer should feel honored. I did enjoy the beginning bits, though she got exponentially smarter and more sophisticate as the piece went on. What grabbed me was the brilliant piece of art which at least a little bit reminds me of my own
I've always loved Mitchell (and had that same emotional response you note) over the rest of those tedious drunken windbags, but hadn't know anything at all about her personally. An interesting capsule summary of her that whets the appetite for something more. I recommend that you shell out for some actual book reproductions of her work, though, so you can be sure the colors are right.
Also, can't believe you didn't mention that she and Edward Gorey were childhood friends who disliked each others' work but per wikipedia at least stayed friendly. Pointless but delightful.
Mitchell lavished the best of her intolerably abrasive self on her paintings and her adored dogs, apparently the only creatures she could love without reservation. Her painting of the poodle George, who got too cold splashing in the ocean, radiates love, empathy and grief. George died a few years before she painted it. I've seen this painting a number of times, most recently in a Mitchell retrospective at the Baltimore Museum of Art. If you love dogs, it may move you to tears.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment - I’m going to look up the painting of George the poodle. Any dog lover would understand her grief and it’s great that she was able to love and be loved by these gorgeous creatures at least. They give and receive so unconditionally.
The painting lives at the Buffalo AKG, a splendid museum well worth a trip to Buffalo. Like most of Mitchell’s work, it’s large and reproductions don’t capture its beauty.
Many thanks for that information and I’m sorry I missed seeing this before now. Unfortunately I can’t see myself making it to Buffalo from Ireland but you never know!!😁 It’s always so different to see a painting in reality and to be able to examine the surface up close. Thanks again.
Thank you for your comment! It inspired me to learn more about George, which led me to this older piece of writing about Mitchell's approach to painting. "The dog, George, became the mnemonic catalyst which provided the remembered attitude, and the beach in East Hampton furnished the remembered landscape image, although once the painting was started, it took over." https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/mitchell-paints-a-picture-2121/
Nicely done. As you're probably aware, there are some digital riffs on Mitchell on display at MoMA that I happened to notice a few days ago. "Painting Paintings" is the exhibit. Not convinced it works, but . . .
More generally, my emotional response to abstract expressionism seems to be fading. I think this has to do with how present historical consciousness helps lend meaning. And while the critical weight might burden your engagement with the first generation, you yourself are using "gossip" as an avenue to some sort of appreciation. But part of it might be that I'm about the age these folks died, and the pathos of late middle age, etc., is certainly real enough, but mere "feeling" (Rothko) isn't very interesting, frankly. I might write about this. Anyway, kudos.
I don’t know if it’s apparent but “Kotex painter” refers to Frankenthaler‘s raw cotton, stained canvases, perhaps a bit too facile a solution for Mitchell. She also said wittily of Warhol, “all cash and no cathedral,” referring to Monet’s series of church paintings. Whatever their romantic relationship, you can see lots of exchanges of ideas in Michael Goldberg’s and Joan Mitchell’s paintings of the late fifties - especially the pretty radical one of placing big strokes of white over color passages as a kind of sign for “raw canvas.” There’s an excellent small catalogue by Paul Schimmel worth seeking out that covers the “old hat” (Mitchell’s self-deprecating term) Second Generation Abstract-Expressionists, “Action-Precision” (Newport, 1985). Schimmel talks about the precise construction of Mitchell’s paintings, comparing their basis to “a highly structured armature not unlike Mondrian’s trees.” Of “Evenings on 73rd Street”: “a boisterous, unforgiving image of happy time spent with close friends, drinking and listening to records”at the Stable Gallery on 73rd Street. Her art acc to Schimmel, “strives for the perfect moment when the balance between beauty and destruction have been realized and the painting ‘comes upon itself and stays still.’” Also perhaps a metaphor for her life.
Thank you for pointing out the context of the kotex remark. I had assumed it was a jab at the other painter as a woman and, therefore, a user of Kotex products.
Thank you for this piece. I so enjoyed your candor and colorful details in the part about the Paris Pompidou letdown. Gotta admit I had not heard of Joan Mitchell so I appreciate the intro. It can be hard to put into words sometimes why we gravitate to certain pieces of art, and you did a great job at it.
It’s all about the ‘art’! Only the ‘art’. Dont look at me. BUT DO LOOK AT ME! Don’t ignore me, I matter! Ignore me I’m ugly. But don’t ignore me, love me, lust me! Let’s be profoundly intimate, but don’t touch me. Use me as I use you. Love me, invite me into the deepest parts of your life! BUT don’t touch me……etc etc etc…..
Hmmmmmm, no thank you, I’ll just have the CornFlakes
Lice as a practical joke!
I didn't know very much about Joan Mitchell and now thanks to you I know a fair amount. Thanks!
The first time I saw a Frankenthaler in the AGO, I was drawn in by what I felt was an extreme "physicality" on display rather than anything like emotion. At the time, I had no idea who she was, so no context at all. Just the raw response to a painting.
Mitchell sounds like a real piece of crap human.
What a great read. I loved the author's perspective and great wit. It was like a friend telling me a good travel story mixed in with an interesting cultural story that turns into an unexpected peek into the life and character of a very unique artist. It left me wanting more and now I'll go delve further into the life and works of Joan Mitchell. Bravo!
If you're in New York, which I it sounds like you are? You can see Joan Mitchells whenever you want right here in New York! MoMA and Whitney both have one on display right now and David Zwirner frequently has exhibitions of her work, other galleries often show her work as well. Ninth Street Women is a great multi person biography that came out a few years ago on Joan, Helen, Grace, and other women in the 2nd wave.
This was an excellent piece about an artist I didn't know about. (I am an artist myself.)
And really well written too--Thanks
What a piece of shit of a human being she was
That's a great read, thanks.
If to say a piece is culturally above me, or just plain "above me" is a compliment, this writer should feel honored. I did enjoy the beginning bits, though she got exponentially smarter and more sophisticate as the piece went on. What grabbed me was the brilliant piece of art which at least a little bit reminds me of my own
What do you do for a living?
What a wonderful article. I'm going to have another look now at these artists!