Joan Mitchell: Lady Painter

Joan Mitchell: Lady Painter by Patricia Albers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

1. So far it's a tedious review of family history. Interesting that Mitchell's grandfather was an engineer who built bridges, including the original Van Buren Street drawbridge in Chicago.

2. Now I'm in her NY days. I do not like her, which is good. It means the book is honest. It portrays Mitchell as fastidiously self-serving. OK, she's also deeply troubled. And bent on being an artist. I'm at the part where she despises her wealthy parents, while living off their $$, of course. Once her father told a lover that she couldn't possibly marry another artist, unless he was of Picasso stature.

3. Now she's in Paris, where we'd all like to go to forget our troubles. She's trying to moderate her drinking, lose weight, & forget her man. Oh, & paint with French oils that challenge her with their new names & qualities. Her mother is paying, &  I don't resent her for that -- not her fault she was born rich. Who knows if she'd have developed her talents without the time & experiences that provided.

4. I'm writing this months later: What I'll remember about Joan Mitchell is what I loved about her paintings (which I now can see as landscapes) even before reading this -- the color, sweep, and abandon of her work.


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