The way Lee Krasner saw her emotions

Lee Krasner was an influential painter during the Abstract Expressionist movement. This art movement was all about expressing thoughts and feelings in a painting. Let’s learn more about the artist... Lee Krasner Full name: Lena (later Lenore) Krassner Born: October 27, 1908 Died: June 19, 1984

Lena Krassner was the fifth child to be born into her family, but the first to be born in America. Her family was of Orthodox Jewish descent, and they moved from Russia to New York just before Lee was born. She always loved art as a girl, and when she was old enough, she told her parents she wanted to go to art college. They couldn’t afford to pay for her tuition (they had a store where they sold fish and produce) but they said they wouldn’t stop her. She was resourceful, independent, and very smart. She was awarded a scholarship that enabled her to attend three amazing art schools. She changed her name to Lenore, and then later shortened it to Lee and removed an ‘s’ from her last name.

She finished college in the midst of the Great Depression, but she found work painting murals for the Works Progress Administration's Public Works of Art Project. (This was part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal art program.)

She was always on the cutting edge of the constantly changing art scene... dancing to jazz music into the night with Piet Mondrian, and becoming a founding member of the American Abstract Artists– a group formed in New York City in 1936 to help the public to understand abstract art. One art dealer famously stated that Krasner “knew more about painting than anyone in the United States, except John Graham.”

The focus of her art and her style changed a lot throughout her lifetime, but one thing that remained constant was the focus on exploring her inner reality on the canvas. Her thoughts, feelings, and emotions all play a big part in her paintings. Looking at her art, we get a sense of these emotions- and they span a wide range of feelings. Her bold color choices and sweeping gestural brushstrokes tell us a story- even though her paintings are abstract.

In 1945 she was married to another influential abstract Expressionist painter, Jackson Pollock. They moved to a house in East Hampton, New York where they painted. That house is now a museum!

Lee Krasner 1 Let’s explore a painting...

As you look at this painting, begin to get curious and ask yourself questions that will help you to understand the art. What do you see here? What kind of story is the artist telling us? What are the shapes here, and what do they bring to mind? What is the emotion of this piece? Look at the layers. Notice how this painting has an interesting contrast! What do you notice about the colors? What more can we find?

Lee Krasner, Milkweed, 1955 (collage canvas)

Lee Krasner 2 Let’s learn more about this painting... Milkweed art analysis

There were several amazing women who made significant contributions to the Abstract Expressionist art movement, but their work was often overshadowed by the men in the art movement. This did not deter Kras- ner. She continued to redefine the movement with her revolutionary style and bold artistic choices. In Milkweed, we can’t see anything totally recognizable, but the shapes are reminiscent of natural objects- stems, leaves, and grasses. Krasner created this piece by “recycling” some of her previous art- cutting up old canvases and layering them on a new canvas with the addition of more paint. This creates a really interesting texture where the torn canvas is rough in some areas, and it’s precisely cut in others. The shapes create a rhythm and convey motion, as they direct our eye around the canvas. There’s so much contrast here- deep black shapes balanced thoughtfully with areas of light cream and white colors. Behind these neutral colors we see a range of greens and a vibrant spot of orange.

Lee Krasner 3 The key is what is within the artist. The artist can only paint what she or he is about.

LEE KRASNER

Lee Krasner 4 Now it’s your turn to create abstract art!

Lee Krasner’s art was usually big and bold... and abstract.

Your abstract art might be a painting, a collage, or even something you create on your outdoor patio with sidewalk Consider this: chalk. If you can make your art big, it will give you lots of Some things to consider as space to use sweeping expressive brushstrokes or large you make your art... powerful shapes. You don’t need to buy a big canvas for this- if you have shipping boxes, you can flatten them out and that can be your canvas. As you begin to think about your abstract art, it may be fun (and helpful) to keep a few things in mind... Use your feelings and ideas as inspiration for your art. Even though you’re creating something abstract and your initial Balance- Your art doesn't need to thoughts won't be represented as recognizable images, be symmetrical, but you can think your intention will shine through. about balancing shapes and colors in your composition... or intentionally Don’t forget to give your artwork a title that suits your image. keep in unbalanced to create a feeling of tension and suspense!

Scale- Will you use big sweeping brushstrokes and large expansive areas of color in your art? Or does your idea need a smaller canvas and more detail?

Layers- If you choose to create a collage canvas like Lee Krasner did, you may want to consider the order that you’ll put things on your canvas. Collages are fun (and flexible!) Because you can try out a few ideas before you grab your glue and make it permanent.

Color- That tiny sliver of orange that peeks through the background is so powerful! Will you use color this way?

Lee Krasner 5