Elaine de Kooning portrayed

About this book

"'Elaine de Kooning Portrayed' comprises a estament to Elaine's position at the center of an avant-garde that was far more aesthetically diverse than is commonly appreciated. Not all of the works in this exhibition are portratis in the conventional sense. Many are likenesses of her, but others are mroe in the nature of subjective responses to her vibrant personality. There are also self-portrait paintings and drawings by Elaine from 1946, when she and her husband, Willem de Kooning, were living hand to mouth. Struggling artists interested in figure study who lacked the money to hire models often turned to themselves as available subject matter. However, as Phyllis Braff notes in hter enlightening essay, those who followed that course were bucking the abstract expressionist tide, and it's a testament to Elaine's determination and self-confidence that she continued along her path in spite of contrary pressures. With great flair, she reconciled the individualized gesture, an expression of inner motivation, and her desire to capture the ssence of individuals other than herself." Helen A. Harrison