Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner

by Ines Janet Engelmann

This dual portrait examines the art and lives of these talented artists and their productive, yet tempestuous relationship. For more than a decade Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner devoted their lives to each other, serving in turn as muse, critic, companion, lover, friend, and alter ego. Their romance was stormy--their raucous arguments are the stuff of legend--and their talents were prodigious. Filling the pages of this book are examples of the contributions both artists made to the world of modern art. Readers will learn how Pollock and Krasner's artistry evolved and how they influenced each other's success. Recent developments, such as a revealing biopic and the art world's designation of Pollock as the most expensive artist in the world, bring their portrait fully up to date. While the author acknowledges history's sensationalization of their lives, it is the paintings themselves--revolutionary, innovative, and daring--that tell the most compelling story.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

95 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2007

Reviews

[Hale Andrews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Many of the facts are wrong and many photos of the paintings are either cut or, in one case, backwards.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

The paintings are extraordinary, the reproductions adequate, the commentary execrable. I doubt English is Engelmann's first language; the text is riddled with unnecessary exclamation points and errors of syntax and diction ("frugal" is employed to mean "extravagant" at one point). No harm would have been done if Engelmann had devoted a couple pages to the two decades of Krasner's career following Pollock's death.

[R.Friend · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an avid Pollock fan, I was happy to find this new release on the shelf at Borders today. It's a thin volume, but contains decent reproductions and narratives of the fascinating lives of both Pollock and Krasner, along with a detailed chronological biography of each. Overall, a great little addition to any Pollock and/or Krasner collection.

[BespectacledBookGirl]

The scholarship seems somewhat questionable? Substantiated by apparent lack of information available anywhere on the artist.