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De Kooning: An American Master
Willem de Kooning is one of the most important artists of the twentieth century, a true “painter’s painter” whose protean work continues to inspire many artists. In the thirties and forties, along with Arshile Gorky and Jackson Pollock, he became a key figure in the revolutionary American movement of abstract expressionism. Of all the painters in that group, he worked the ...more
Hardcover, 752 pages
Published
November 9th 2004
by Knopf
(first published 2004)
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Before I read this book, I rarely read straight-up biographies. I think the last one I read was a bio of Sylvia Plath I waded though in the tenth grade for an essay I was writing on her (oh yes, I was so tortured). I still recall bits and pieces from that bio, but I didn't crave all things biography after I'd finished. I think I went to track practice and forgot about it.
This book has singlehandedly renewed my faith in the biography. I have never been in love with de Kooning's paint...more
This book has singlehandedly renewed my faith in the biography. I have never been in love with de Kooning's paint...more
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I know this book got great reviews, and I hate to be the sand in the works, but I found it to be kind of creaky. The biographical information was presented in a fairly straightforward way ... interesting, but the writing was only on the level of good journalism. Each chapter concludes with a discussion of one of DeKooning's major works from the period covered. These I found painful, the worst kind of foggy, bum-kissing artspeak. (That's just my opinion; lots of people disagreed.) The one th...more
This is a brilliant biography. I only read it because I thought de Kooning was like a lesser Pollack but there wasn't a hefty definitive Pollack bio lying about at my boyfriend's parents' house, and this one was. But Mark Stevens writes the most readable, intriguing portrait of de Kooning, making you realize that there is so much more to this abstract painter. For one, he was a totally skilled draftsman. He just shifted to abstract expressionism and, late in life, sculpture. I think that it...more
This is certainly an informative read and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of de Kooning's work. That sad, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I found the writers jumping to a number of conclusions and making a lot of inferences (mostly regarding his relationships and emotions) without anything to back them up. (i.e. - "Though he never said so, it may have been that de Kooning felt..." and we have a page or so of unconfirmed emotional turmoil.) Also, they seem to spen...more
An art biography whose strengths lie mostly in its treatment of the non-artistic aspects of de Kooning's life. Beginning with a classic and finely-rendered account of de Kooning's experience as an immigrant and moving slowly but purposefully to his emergence as as artist and the establishment of his place in the art world, Stevens and Swan give us a vivid portrait of an artist's self-discovery and the formation of a working aesthetic.
Once De Kooning is established as an artist, the n...more
Once De Kooning is established as an artist, the n...more
This book tells a great personal story. Childhood poverty, earning a scholarship to one of Holland's premier art academies, immigrating to New York after World War II, working as a a carpenter and window dresser, breakthroughs to new artistic levels, living in the bohemian world of Greenwich Village in the 50's, alcoholism, the several women who critically influenced his life (and the many who did not), the influence of his mentor Arshile Gorky, his friendship/rivalry with Jackson Pollack, Rober...more
I love this book! Being a self-professed art nerd, this shouldn't be a surprise. Although an extremely dense book, and not the quickest read of my life (I've taken more than a few breaks!), it always left me thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. An extremely comprehensive overview of de Kooning's life from his humble beginnings in the Netherlands to a who's-who in mid-century New York. As an artist who connects with his work on such a level that is incomparable to many today, his comm...more
Bookmarks Magazine
added it
Critics unreservedly praise Stevens's and Swan's opus as a masterpiece in art writing, a landmark biography, and a fascinating look at early 20th-century New York. Several laud the writers' meticulous research and eloquent style, and most appreciate the balance with which the authors explore de Kooning's more human aspects, such as chronic infidelity and probable Alzheimer's Disease. Reviewers single out this tome as a gripping read for both fans of the painter and the uninitiated.
This is an ex
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This book is a masterpiece! I loved every word of it and learned all about the NYC art world in the 1930s 40s, and 50s, after De Kooning escaped his shoe-throwing mom in Rotterdam and came to the U. S. as a stowaway in a freighter. I loved how the American artists (not yet famous) used to drop in at each other's studios. They were all fascinated by and jealous of that Spanish artist, Picasso, and memorized all his works at his NY gallery shows. De Kooning, who eventually became an master America...more
Loved this!
It made me want to forget his life, remember his pictures. I must see the MOMA retrospective!
1. At the end of section 1 -- Holland -- I am disgusted with 22-year-old de Kooning. He stowed away on a ship bound for America without saying goodbye to his mother! or father (they lived apart). or the big sister who supported him in so many ways. Ingrate!
2. de Kooning quickly found work (interior design) & women (first one, then another, then another... sometime...more
It made me want to forget his life, remember his pictures. I must see the MOMA retrospective!
1. At the end of section 1 -- Holland -- I am disgusted with 22-year-old de Kooning. He stowed away on a ship bound for America without saying goodbye to his mother! or father (they lived apart). or the big sister who supported him in so many ways. Ingrate!
2. de Kooning quickly found work (interior design) & women (first one, then another, then another... sometime...more
This autobiography deservedly netted a lot of book awards, including the Pulitzer. I'm going to do a fairly detailed review, but it only scratches the surface of this book, and is no substitute for reading it.
There was a major de Kooning retrospective at MOMA in 2011-2012 with 200 works, around the time this book was released:
http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibit...
I won't label it a spoiler, because there is so much I left out, but if you hate knowing anything a...more
There was a major de Kooning retrospective at MOMA in 2011-2012 with 200 works, around the time this book was released:
http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibit...
I won't label it a spoiler, because there is so much I left out, but if you hate knowing anything a...more
This book can get bogged down in recounting the minutes of de Kooning's life. We don't need to hear about every downswing and every comeback and every alcoholic binge he went on. The last one hundred pages say the same thing over and over until he dies and nothing new really comes to light other than the fact that a really old man is having trouble remembering things. Isaacson or McCullough wouldn't have let that happen, especially with a subject who was the master of escaping (he painted secret...more
Fascinating biography focusing on de Kooning's life, art and the rise of the New York School of abstract expressionism. Although I'm a great lover of the movement, I've never been particularly impressed with de Kooning's oeuvre. This book drills deep into his upbringing, style and psychology to present a deeply compelling character at the heart of American abstract art. The authors also exhaustively uncover the influence of his contemporaries, including his friendship with some of my favorite ar...more
A terrific biography on one of the most important American painters of the 20th century. I feel like I have a real sense of de Koonig's life as well as his career after reading this; as well as his influences, his turbulent personal life, his struggle with alcoholism, and his relationships with other writers. A few years back I read the Pollack bio and was intrigued by the friendly yet competitive friendship between these two artists. Stevens really explores this aspect, as well as offers insigh...more
I totally love the artwork of Willem De Kooning, so when I came across this book I knew I had to read it! Plus, it won a Pulitzer Prize so it's gotta be good, right? Well, it was...it's a great read & the insight into this American Artist's work is very well researched. If you love Abstract Expressionism & want to learn more about this era in Art then be sure to grab this book.
Great biography! Really gives insight into the life of such an influential painter. I really liked reading about the New York schools of painting in the 60s and 70s. Includes in-depth critiques of his important paintings as well as descriptions of his contemporaries and their work. Very interesting to read about his personal life as well. A must read for any artist, young or old!
I love Pollock he was huge and American and modern and everything America wanted to be at the time but personally I prefer de Kooning. I think his abstract paintings were more modern and more forward thinking, maybe not as arresting but subtly magestic and who knows if his name wasn't so European he might have been much bigger like his drinking buddy Jackson.
Excellent biography of the late Dutch-American painter, which explores his life and artists philosophies in great detail. What I especially liked was the discussions of his painting techniques, which are often not covered in these sorts of books. Overall one of the better artist's biographies I've ever read. (Would give it four and a half stars if I could).
Detailed biography +600 pages of Dutch artist Willem de Kooning, who left for New York to become eventually one of the most influential artists of the century. Still I mist something, they didn't get under his skin.
I added this book because its one of my favorites. Gossipy and scholarly, a great bio of an artist and fascinating account of the New York art scene from the 30s through the 80s. Well researched and a page turner.
An outstanding biography of an important and remarkable life; perhaps the best biography of an artist I've ever read. The scholarly tone is measured, accessible, restrained and illuminating.
i started reading this a couple of years ago when it first came out, but then my dog chewed off the corner of it and i can't stand to open it anymore 'cause it's all disfigured now.
A brilliant biography of the artist/ painter deKooning. Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Couldn't put it down.
Great example of a biography with an eye to narrative journalism. Not text-book recording of facts makes it a more compelling read.
This is a terrifically written book about one of 20th Century America's most important abstract expressionist artists. Stevens and Swan, the authors, examine the man and the art in equal measure. Their treatment is loving but not fawning. They see De Kooning, a Dutch immigrant, as a flawed but dedicated artist. They range into his obsessions, his accomplishments, his relationships. They treat his womanizing and his alcoholism -- and their relation to De Kooning's art. They appreciate his full fr...more
Neuwife
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Creators and/or lovers of fine art.
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@abstanfield on Twitter!
I'm currently reading this as part of a Twitter book discussion group.
Extraordinary account of an extraordinay artist.
pretty dry for my money
This was a christmas gift from 2005. I read the review in the NYT [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/books/review/tenbest.html?ex=1291957200&en=be70d305f5d4e7dc&ei=5088] and the book sounded fascinating. The problem--the book is extremely detailed. I guess that is the point. de Kooning is a weirdo and fun to read about, but this experience made me think that sometimes I just like reading the reviews better than the entire book. I'm still working on it--I'll let you know how it ends--hint: think ...more
2005 pulitzer-biography
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Mark Stevens is the art critic for New York Magazine. He has also been the art critic for The New Republic and Newsweek and has written for such publications as Vanity Fair, the New York Times, and The New Yorker. He lives in New York City.
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