Millbrook Library Hosts a Women’s Abstract Expression Talk and Tour
In honor of Women’s History Month, Millbrook Library hosted a Women of Abstract Expressionism lecture and tour about women who pioneered the art world.
Joyce Raimondo, an author and artist, hosted this event in collaboration with the Millbrook Library. During the lecture, Raimondo discussed many artists, such as Elaine De Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, and Lee Krasner, who have faced hardships in their careers.
“For many years, women were written out of art history. They were invisible, and they weren’t included in textbooks, or museums, or exhibitions. So the general public would’ve never known about these women if it weren’t for these kinds of talks or books,” said Raimondo.
The lecture focused on Lee Krasner’s career and ended with a tour of her former home and studio. Lee Krasner and her husband, Jackson Pollock, moved from New York City to East Hampton in 1945. Their home and studio overlooked Accabonac Creek, which inspired both Pollock and Krasner to have breakthroughs in their art careers. After Pollock was killed in a car accident in 1956, Lee continued to use their studio, where she painted her Earth Green and Night Journey pieces, until her own death in 1984.
Raimondo said, “I have done, with the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, last year, a total of 241 Zoom programs, and we do these on all different topics and hands-on workshops like basic drawing and painting for beginners.”
Pollock and Krasner were artists who experimented with new approaches and paved the way for Abstract Expressionism after World War II. Now, Krasner’s land is a National Historic Landmark, where her home and art are preserved to showcase her many talents throughout the years. The tour goes through their home, showing their beautiful artwork and interior design choices.
“Times are changing. We have a long way to go, but there has definitely been progress. When I worked at the Museum of Modern Art in the ’90s, there were only a few women in the permanent collection, which were in storage. Now that’s changed. You can see women, men, and people of color in the main gallery. It’s more inclusive now,” said Raimondo.
Pollock and Krasner’s studio museum will reopen for tours on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Yet, people who are eager to see the exhibit or who cannot travel to the attraction can attend the free Zoom programs offered all year round.
Raimondo said, “Zoom offers people worldwide opportunities to join our programs and learn about the historic city. We have people attending from Argentina, Australia, England, and Canada. Zoom also offers people who are homebound an opportunity to participate. One year, I had a woman who was completely paralyzed from home who was able to participate in the program.”
As part of the art industry, Joyce Raimondo has experienced some of the same sexism and challenges that Krasner and other artists have seen while trying to build a name for themselves.
Raimondo said, “In the 1970s, it was presented to me that a woman could either have a career or a family. It was an either-or decision. You would often see a successful female character who didn’t have a family or a woman who had a family who felt bad she didn’t have a career. I chose the path to be an artist and not have a family of my own.”
For young women, sexism is still something that they are stuck with, whether in their career or their personal lives. Raimondo’s advice to these young women who are affected by sexism is something everyone should hear.
“Don’t let what other people tell you. If it’s belittling, if it’s making you less than what you really are, you have to start believing in yourself. Don’t take it on and think, ‘I’m not so good at this’ because someone else said that… Remember to say, ‘That’s your opinion, that’s your experience, and that might be your idea,’ but I’m not going to take that onto myself because I don’t think that way,’” said Raimondo.
