agnes martin (1912-2004), a STRONG and DETERMINED woman*...
abstract, minimalist painter, contemporary of Jackson Pollock
opposed the cult of personality but at the same time facilitated the same
nearly became an Olympic swimmer
training to be a teacher up until her 40s
encountered art through the teacher training programs
starts practicing art in middle life, continues into old age
gay, working class background
first solo show at 46
valued freedom from the cares of the world
became well-known for her work with the grid
had a bad relationship with her mother
went through a period where she was focused in becoming famous but later became a zen mystic..."the greatest sin is pride"
made work and destroyed if she didn't like it, did this into her eighties
wanted her paintings to evoke beauty, quiet, happiness
paranoid schizophrenic---was forceably incarcerated in a mental institute during an episode
was given shock therapy about 100 times
leaves the art world in 1967 as she was becoming successful
lived in extremely solitary ways
friendships and relationships were challenging
not interested in making things that were palatable for a gallery
offered a solo show at the Whitney, she's asked for a biography, she says cancel the show---I will not be labelled
a gay person living through the time of the "lavender scare"
i'm not a lesbian, i'm not a woman, i'm a doorknob
starts painting again in 1973
lives a pioneer life
pets and lovers are too distracting
continues to make work right up until she dies (2004)
refusal, renunciation, silence
Other research notes on agnes martin: I have worked, I have lived in, the distraction of food, cats and dogs, tell them i said no
* notes from a conversation between Jennifer Higgie and author Olivia Laing in the Bow Down podcast