December’s Artist on the Margins: Lee Krasner Harris Wheless picks Lee Krasner, "one of only four female artists to have had a retrospective at MoMA", as this month's Artist on the Margins.

Lee Krasner was an uncompromisingly original artist. She was a pioneer of Abstract Expressionism before the movement was even given a name.. Although, in many ways, Krasner’s 1945-1956 marriage to Jackson Pollock overshadowed her career. In fact, you might even be more familiar with Mrs. Pollock, which most reviewers referred to her as. Influential critic, Clement Greenberg, defined Abstract Expressionism as the artistic representation of the male psyche. The critical and institutional landscape of mid-century America offered many barriers to female artists. There were quota systems that only allowed one or two women artists per gallery. In a similar fashion, Krasner’s artistic contributions have been downplayed and the enormous influence she had on Pollock is sometimes completely written out. In early paintings, such as Noon (1947), Krasner further demonstrates her highly developed sense of gestural abstraction. Her extensive formal training and familiarity with contemporary trends in modern art opened Pollock up to new possibilities. Even after his passing in 1956, Krasner continued to innovate, moving on to larger, monochromatic canvases, and a painting style that was even more free and expressive. Despite her contributions, a retrospective was not held until December 1984, six months after her death. She is one of only four female artists to have had a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art. Gender inequality is certainly not absent in the art world, and there are a lot more artists who still need to be recognised.

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