WOMEN IN ART: ALICE NEEL

Throughout my education and while visiting various museums and shows I've had a chance to see many paintings by Alice Neel. Yet, up until now I haven't actually learned about her as an artist. To start, Alice Neel was an American Portrait Painter. But her life wasn't easy, she struggled and broke barriers as a female artist.
Born in 1900, Neel was taught that she wouldn't make an impact in the world because she was a woman. But she went on to pursue her art career and she took classes in art and eventually enrolled in Art School. While in school she met her husband Carlos Enriquez and she moved to Hanava with him learning more about Cuban avant-garde arts. When in this situation Alice Neel began to take her stance in political consciousness and equality for women.

Alice Neel in her studio in Harlem, 1944

A year later Alice and Carlos had a daughter, Santillana, who died a year later from diphtheria. The lose of her daughter was so strong that she portrayed themes of lose, motherhood, and anxiety in her paintings. Not long after the loss of Santillana, Neel had a second child, Isabella Lillian, in New York City. After her birth, Neel painted "Well Baby Clinic" which more resembles mothers and babies in an insane asylum than in a maternity ward. And a few year after that Carlos took Isabetta back to Cuba and in reaction to the lose of her husband and daughter, Neel broke down and was hospitalized and attempted suicide.

Alice Neel, Well Baby Clinic, 1928, oil on canvas, Private Collection

At about this time it was the Depression Era, Alice was lucky to work for the Works Progress Administration and was hired to make paintings. During this time she was seeing heroin addict and sailor, Kenneth Doolittle who set fire to 350 of her watercolors, paintings and drawings a few years later.

Alice Neel, Kenneth Dolittle, 1931, oil on canvas, Tate Modern, London

She then began to surround herself with artists, intellectuals, and political leaders for the Communist Party, who she also painted. This allowed her to become a well known and respected artist. She gave birth to another child, Richard, of her lover Jose Santiago moving to Spanish Harlem and painting her neighbors.

Alice Neel, The Spanish Family, 1943, oil on canvas, Private Collection

After Jose left she gave birth to another son, Hartley, of her lover community intellectual, Sam Brody. As for her art career, she was illustrating for Masses & Mainstream but her work for the Works Progress Administration stopped soon after leading to Alice Neel having to struggle to make ends meet. In the end of the 1960s, Neel's work gained interest because of the Women's Movement which led to Neel becoming an icon for many feminists. She became of celebrity status when she was awarded with a National Women's Caucus for Art award by President Jimmy Carter.

Alice Neel's painting of Kate Millett for the cover of TIME Magazine, August 31 1970

Alice Neel, Andy Warhol, 1970, oil on canvas, Whitney Museum, New York

Alice Neel's Website has tons of information about her life and her work: www.aliceneel.com

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: BARKLEY L. HENDRICKS

Barkley Leonnard Hendricks was born in 1945 in Philadelphia. His work can be found in the National Gallery of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and many more.

http://www.wwd.com/eye/people/barkley-l-hendricks-talks-latest-exhibit-hearts-hands-eyes-mind-6812153/slideshow#/slideshow/article/6812153/6812251

Throughout his career Hendricks has experiemented with many different mediums and genres of art, although his portraits stand out the most. Hendricks' work was considered a huge jump for black portraiture and conceptualism. His portraits are life sized and really show pride through the subject. Hendricks' work touches upon many themes, style, attitude, realism through his straightforward portraits with a great sense of energy.

Barkley L. Hendricks, Triple Portrait from the Yard, oil on canvas, 2013

Focusing on the subtleties that bring out the sense of reality of these subjects is what makes these portraits strong. These works are not to show the realism of what is pop culture in a documentary sense but in a showing the viewer what is cool just from the attitude his paintings have. From a Portraiture stance, Hendricks' work shows the realism through purposefully showing you certain aspects of the person to give you their personality. Hendricks' knowledge of portraiture is strong and natural allowing his work to seem seamless in its meaning. While his work isn't widely known, he is one of those amazing artists that is wildly acknowledged and loved in the art world.

There is a wonderful interview of his show at Duke here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=darxeJzn4WI

WOMEN IN ART: MARY CASSATT

A very widely known American woman artist is Mary Cassatt. I remember learning about her when I was still in elementary school. She was born around Pittsburgh, PA and moved closer to Philadelphia for her childhood but then lived most of her adult life in France (where she became friends with Edgar Degas). At a young age she traveled around Europe and was able to go to Paris World's Fair in 1855 to see many many amazing artists (Ingres, Delacroix, Courbet, Corot). This is where she began her first artistic impulses even though her family didn't support her becoming a professional artist.

Eventually she moved to Europe and was a huge part of the Impressionist Movement. She studied under many artists and became friends with Degas who greatly influenced her work. "Degas had considerable influence on Cassatt. She became extremely proficient in the use of pastels, eventually creating many of her most important works in this medium. Degas also introduced her to copper engraving, of which he was a recognized master, which strengthened her control of line and overall draftsmanship. She became the subject in his series of etchings recording their trips to the Louvre. They worked side-by-side for awhile, and she gained considerably from his technique and knowledge."

Mary Cassatt, Little Girl in a Blue Armchair, 1878

Here's another one of her pieces that set her in the Impressionist movement:

Mary Cassatt, Summertime

Later on in her career she began to become influenced by Japanese drawings, like many artists had, and so her works became more illustrative. With great simplicity and blocks of color she was able to create a beautiful collection of aquatints.

Mary Cassatt, The Coiffure (study)

She was a great and prolific painter of her time and was rubbing elbows with the best of the best. Mary Cassatt's work has sold millions of dollars and she is highly influential and original. Whether you enjoy her Japanese influenced aquatints, her super Impressionist paintings, or her Degas inspired pastel drawings she is a one-of-a-kind artist that is necessary in Art History.

Citations:
All information and pictures were found at www.marycassatt.org