A Place in History

Her birth name was Lena. She went by Lenore in high school. But if you’ve heard of her, you’ll know her as Lee. Some art historians believe Lee Krasner adopted the gender-neutral name Lee to combat the gender bias she faced in the art world.

If you haven’t heard of Krasner, you’ve probably heard of her husband, Jackson Pollock. The two artists were married for 11 years, influencing one another’s work along the way. But Krasner was an artist before she met Pollock and continued painting for almost 30 years after he died. As Pollock achieved international fame, Krasner quietly explored new directions in her work, ensuring a space for herself in art’s long history.

Lee Krasner was an Abstract Expressionist painter. Her birth name was Lena. She went by Lenore in high school. But for her art career, she chose the name Lee. Some historians believe she did this so that when people saw her name on paper, they wouldn’t know she was a woman right away. It wasn’t easy being a woman in the art world at the time.

Krasner was married to famous painter Jackson Pollock for 11 years. The two artists influenced each other’s work. Pollock became much more famous than Krasner. But Krasner’s role in Abstract Expressionism was just as important as her husband’s.

Krasner was born in 1908 in Brooklyn, New York. In college, she struggled to impress her art teachers. In 1930, to gain admittance to an important life-drawing class, Krasner worked hard to make the kind of painting her teachers wanted to see—Self-Portrait, above. It reveals the 22-year-old’s technical skill and was just what she needed to be admitted to the prestigious class.

Around the same time, she saw art by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse for the first time. Newly inspired by how they pushed away from traditions of the past, Krasner decided to leave realism behind and work in a more abstract way.

Krasner was born in 1908 in Brooklyn, New York. She studied art in college. But her teachers didn’t always like her work. Krasner worked hard to make the type of realistic paintings they wanted to see, like her 1930 Self-Portrait, above.

When Krasner saw Pablo Picasso’s and Henri Matisse’s art, she was inspired by how they broke the rules of realistic painting. Krasner started painting in a more abstract way. 

In 1936, Krasner met Pollock and the two artists soon began dating. Within a few years, they married and moved to Long Island. Pollock made huge paintings in their barn, while Krasner created smaller-scale works in a bedroom in their house.

These works became a series called Little Images. Her 1949 Composition, shown above, features dense symbols arranged in a tightly controlled grid that covers the entire canvas. The symbols might remind you of hieroglyphics, but they do not mean anything. The paintings in this series are Krasner’s first truly abstract works.

Krasner met Pollock in 1936. They got married and moved to Long Island. Pollock made big paintings in their barn. Krasner created smaller works in a bedroom. Krasner’s 1949 Composition above, is part of a series called Little Images. Symbols appear in a grid. They don’t mean anything. The paintings in this series are Krasner’s first truly abstract works.

Krasner shifted styles many times during her career. She called these shifts “breaks.” For Krasner, if your style never changed, your inner world wasn’t growing.

A break to a new style in the 1950s happened almost by accident. One day, Krasner tore up some drawings in frustration and tossed them to the floor. She became intrigued by how the pieces arranged themselves. That moment inspired her to begin exploring collage.

Krasner’s collages are larger and more open than her Little Images. You can almost feel a breeze moving through the layers of paper and paint in her 1955 Milkweed, above. The title suggests that the plant inspired this image, but Krasner named it after the work was complete.

Krasner changed her artistic style many times. She called these changes “breaks.” Krasner believed breaks were important. They showed that she was growing as an artist.

One day, Krasner was frustrated with her work. She tore up some drawings and threw the pieces on the floor. The way they landed looked interesting. That moment inspired Krasner to explore collage.

Krasner’s collages are larger than her Little Images. They are less crowded and more open. To make her 1955 Milkweed, above, she layered paper and paint. You can almost feel a breeze moving through the work.

In 1956, Krasner visited Europe. While she was there, Pollock died in a car accident. Krasner, who had been his biggest advocate, was devastated. Her grief led to another break in style.

Krasner soon moved her studio into the barn where Pollock had once worked. She started painting on larger canvases and experimenting with a more fluid approach. Her 1966 Gaea, above, is nearly 6 feet tall and 11 feet wide. Imagine her painting the shapes with broad, exuberant movements.

Since Krasner died in 1984, many writers have told her life story in books. But she would say to look at her art. “I think my painting is so autobiographical, if anyone can take the trouble to read it.”

While Krasner was traveling in Europe in 1956, Pollock died in a car accident. Krasner was heartbroken. This led to another break in her artistic style.

Krasner started painting on larger canvases. Her 1966 work Gaea, above, is nearly 6 feet tall and 11 feet wide. Imagine her painting the shapes with big, excited movements.

Krasner died in 1984. Many writers have told her story. But she would say to look at her art to learn about who she really was.