While visiting my in-laws this Thanksgiving, we made our usual day trip to Savannah, Georgia for a little sight seeing. First stop after the trolley ride tour was the Jepson Center for the Arts. My photographer husband and the rest of the gang were keen to see the Ansel Adams exhibition, while I was more excited about the abstract expressionist exhibit: East End Artists, Past and Present.
This show focused on modern and contemporary artists who have worked on the East End of Long Island. Often referred to as “The Hamptons,” the East End is a unique region that has long attracted talented artists drawn by the natural beauty of the place and its convenient proximity to New York City. Of particular interest were two pieces by Jackson Pollock and one by Lee Krasner, two artists who pioneered Abstract Expressionism. Of all the paintings in the show, these three pieces looked the most alike. To be honest, I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference if the tags were switched. It was obvious that these two creative, kindred spirits were influential in each others work.
In 1945, the two married and Krasner struggled with the public's reception to her identity as both a woman and the wife of Pollock. In dealing with audiences, Krasner often signed her works with the genderless initials "L.K." instead of her more recognizable full name. I have often considered myself lucky to be married to someone who's creative but in a different way than I am. Like I said, my Justin is a photographer and I'm a painter and mixed media artist. While Krasner was certainly able to make a name for herself in the art world, I'm sure there were times she felt lost in Pollock's shadow. But, as Krasner once put it flatly, "I painted before Pollock, during Pollock and after Pollock."
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