The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan is currently presenting an exhibition exploring the intertwined artistic legacies of Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, two prominent figures of Abstract Expressionism. The show offers a comprehensive narrative that spans their early careers, personal relationship, and individual creative trajectories, highlighting both collaborations and divergences.
The exhibition opens with a selection of Krasner’s large abstract collage paintings from the mid-1950s. These works are composed of cut-up drawings and fragments of canvas from her previous paintings, creating compositions that suggest both wild gardens and raised arms. Subtly integrated within some of her collages are fragments of Pollock’s discarded drawings, testifying to an artistic dialogue between the two. Nearby, Pollock’s seminal drip painting “Convergence: Number 10, 1952” is displayed, establishing the connection yet underscoring their distinct styles.
A biographical section follows, providing early examples of their work and influences. Krasner’s early paintings and drawings reflect her Brooklyn upbringing and traditional studio training filtered through European modernists such as Matisse and Mondrian. In contrast, Pollock’s early portfolio reveals his apprenticeship under Thomas Hart Benton, with influences ranging from Surrealism to Mexican muralism, alongside an engagement with Jungian therapy.
The exhibition includes a recreation of the influential 1942 “American and French Paintings” show, where Krasner and Pollock first met among artists like Modigliani and Willem de Kooning. At this time, Krasner was already established while Pollock was relatively unknown. Their ensuing marriage in 1945 led them to relocate to a rural setting in the Springs, New York, partly to remove Pollock from the distractions of city life.
The central galleries emphasize Pollock’s groundbreaking contributions in the mid- to late 1940s, showcasing his early gestural abstractions and culminating in his large-scale drip paintings, which garnered widespread acclaim following a 1949 Life magazine feature proclaiming him possibly the country’s greatest living painter. Krasner’s work from the same period, presented in a more intimate gallery, reveals a turn toward contained, concentrated compositions incorporating mosaics and Hebrew characters, reflecting her personal history and distinct approach.
The exhibition addresses the creative challenges both artists faced in the 1950s. While Krasner experienced a period of renewed productivity leading to a successful solo show in 1955, Pollock struggled with creative stagnation and alcoholism, culminating in his fatal car accident in 1956. Pollock’s later work, including the less typical “The Deep” (1953), is juxtaposed with Krasner’s poignant 1956 painting “Embrace,” illustrating a moment of shared vulnerability.
Following Pollock’s death, Krasner’s career evolved amid personal grief and continued artistic struggle. Her post-Pollock work, featured prominently in the final galleries, reveals a diverse range of styles and themes. Notable is the monumental 1957 painting “The Seasons,” marked by organic forms and a vibrancy distinct from Pollock’s cosmic abstraction. Krasner resisted adopting a single stylistic signature, producing works such as the 1972 “Rising Green,” which employs hard-edge forms reminiscent of Matisse rather than traditional Abstract Expressionism.
The exhibition concludes with a nod to Krasner’s late-career synthesis of past and present. In 1974, she revisited and transformed a cache of her early Cubist-inspired drawings into new collage paintings, including the piece “Past Continuous,” which serves as a fitting coda, affirming her ongoing innovation and artistic resilience.
The show runs through January 31 at the Met, offering an in-depth examination of two entwined but distinct artistic paths that shaped American modern art in the mid-20th century.