Elaine and Bill: Portrait of a Marriage : The Lives of Willem and Elaine De Kooning

by Lee Hall

Profiles the dynamic and tumultuous, 50-year, on-again, off-again "open" marriage of Willem and Elaine de Kooning, whose lives were at the epicenter of the postwar art world. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Genres: Art, Biography

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1993

About the author

Lee Hall was the co-author of Dining with Friends: The Art of North American Vegan Cuisine as well as various articles, books, and encyclopedia entries on food security, climate and migration, environmental law, the feminist movement and animal rights. Lee's most recent book was On Their Own Terms: Bringing Animal-Rights Philosophy Down to Earth. Lee was a a member of the Adjunct Faculty of Law at Rutgers University, Newark. She taught immigration law and animal law, and worked full-time as the legal affairs VP for the international advocacy non-profit Friends of Animals.

Reviews

[Sara Risley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an abstract artist. I fell in love with Abstract Expressionist art in college and that love has not waned in the 5 decades since. I was brought to tears viewing Elaine deKooning's THE BULLFIGHT when I saw the important show, Women of Abstract Expressionism, in Denver in 2016. So finding this book was a pleasant surprise. I loved the story of these two important painters, the discussions of art and Expressionism, as well as the relationship between them and the personal lives of those involved. Is it the best written book? No. But the information shared is well worth it. I recommend this to artists interested in the Abstract Expressionist movement, the personal and creative lives of real artists at the dawn of a new art movement, or people who like the philosophical discussion of art.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Partially a repetitive thesis format quoting supportive elements and partially gossipy tales with no references . Willem is portrayed as an aloof focused artist with women flinging themselves on him, who ultimately loses his faculties as an aged millionaire. Elaine is the chain smoking beatnik wife, disparagingly depicted that is so old school against women. I did get a good idea of their intriguing lives together and apart, but really didn't care for the author's style. Could just be a dated book.

[Kiof]

The ones who lived.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a disappointing book. I thought Bill & Elaine were talented artists. I thought Elaine was intelligent. But according to this book I was wrong. She was a chain smoking alcoholic, and sex fiend. Willem was a depressed man who was devasted when Elaine started sleeping around. After 24 years of marriage she would only give him a separation, it seems that by having his last name made her a better artist? After the separation, Bill fathered a daughter with another woman. Elaine thought once about a baby but decided against it, first because it was a full time job and second because she had received too many abortions. Bill had his challenges when Pollock's article in Life magazine was published. Then all artists realized how the power of the printed word could bring an artist to prominence, which promoted Elaine to have sex with the critics to help Bill's work. Sad, sad story.

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

My biggest complaint with this book is that it's slanted in favor of Elaine's point of view. The author was a friend of hers. I think by almost anyone's estimation, Elaine was not an artist in Willem's league; yet this book is very defensive of her work. There's enough juicy gossip in here about the 50's NY art world to interest even the casual fan. I'd recommend the more recent De Kooning bio over this, even though Elaine plays like a minor character in the narrative for the better part of it.

[MJ Halberstadt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely easy to read and a quite thorough account of a dynamic couple. Hall is quite decidedly biased towards her subjects, but manages to paint a rather full picture of their lives, including the grittier and less savory details. At times there is evidence that some closer proofreading is needed - we are very frequently re-introduced to personages we have already met ; we are also thrown new influences that have not been introduced. Fantastically helpful in learning the facts while also getting a sense for who Bill and Elaine were as people.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was timely (so much interview material from people now gone, so much of it given with at least a degree of anonymity that hopefully provided for more honest than usual perspectives) if imperfect (the use of "Cedars" was curious) work. Pair with Evil under the Sun.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the humanity of this book. It's a sad but very human story of loss, greed, redemption. Elaine and Bill were not superheroes as much as they were human.

[Mary D · Rating 2 out of 5]

A contemporaneous bio. Pretty gossipy but an interesting read prior to seeing the De Kooning retrospective at MOMA in NYC.