Who Arted: Weekly Art History for All Ages

Lee Krasner, born Lena Krassner in 1908, was a pivotal Abstract Expressionist artist often overshadowed by her marriage to Jackson Pollock. Despite this, she forged a unique artistic path, studying at the Women's Art School of Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design before embracing modernism after the opening of MoMA in 1929. Influenced by Hans Hofmann's Cubist theories, Krasner experimented with abstraction, contributing to the WPA's Federal Art Project and the American Abstract Artists group. Her significant "Little Images" series, collages, and later large-scale works like the "Earth Green" and "Umber" series showcased her evolving style and resilience. While initial critical reception was mixed, Krasner gained recognition later in her career, culminating in retrospectives at the Whitechapel Gallery and the Whitney Museum, solidifying her legacy as a vital figure in 20th-century art.

Want to learn more? Head over to my website www.funfactsdailypod.com and be sure to listen to my other podcasts Who ARTed: Weekly Art History for All Ages or Art Smart. For family fun, check out my son's podcast Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

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In August of 1973, the Australian government bought a Jackson Pollock painting for $2 million. It was the highest price paid for work of an American artist and it was a huge scandal in Australia. Most people thought it was a waste and inconceivable that a Pollock would be worth as much as a Rembrandt. Pollock's work seems so simple and direct that it is easy to forget how revolutionary it was.

Related Episodes:

⁠Janet Sobel⁠

This is an encore presentation. Every January/February, I release daily episodes to refresh everyone's memory on the 64 artists and artworks that will be included in my Arts Madness Tournament held in March. While most of these daily episodes will be reruns, I will continue publishing new episodes on Mondays. 

Check out my other podcasts  Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I was thrilled to be joind once again by Tim Bogatz, host of Art Ed Radio from The Art of Education University. Writing for The Art of Ed was one of my career and if you want to find my articles, here is a link: https://theartofeducation.edu/author/kylewood/ and fellow art teachers, join Tim, me and thousands of other art teachers on the AOE Community

Jacques-Louis David was a foundational figure of the Neoclassical movement, marking a significant departure from the ornate and frivolous Rococo style that dominated 18th-century France. His artistic journey was characterized by a push toward visual languages inspired by the austerity and perceived virtues of Ancient Rome and Greece. David’s personal history was as turbulent as the era he lived in; raised by uncles who were successful architects after his father was killed in a duel, he faced early professional rejection, failing the Prix de Rome several times before finally succeeding in 1774. His radical political involvement during the French Revolution, including his vote to execute Louis XVI and his later role as an artistic authority under Napoleon, deeply influenced his approach to art as a medium for moral and political communication.

At the center of David’s portfolio is his 1784 masterpiece, The Oath of the Horatii, a work that exemplifies the Neoclassical ideal of placing patriotism and civic duty above personal or familial ties. The painting depicts a legendary conflict between Rome and the city of Alba Longa, where three brothers from the Horatius family swear an oath to their father to fight to the death for their city. David’s composition utilizes a stark, triptych-like structure created by architectural arches that divide the scene into three distinct groups: the brothers swearing the oath, the father holding the swords, and the grieving women—some of whom are tied by marriage to the opposing side. The work is noted for its dramatic use of linear perspective, a dark, simple background, and a sharp contrast between the rigid, angular forms of the men and the soft, organic curves of the distressed women. Originally commissioned under the king, the painting was eventually adopted as a powerful piece of propaganda by revolutionaries, cementing its status as a landmark of Western art history.

Check out my other podcasts  Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you think of bold and revolutionary modern artists from the 20th century, you probably don't think of a grandmother laying across her living room floor painting, but maybe you should. Janet Sobel was a Ukrainian American painter who was dripping paint across the canvas long before Jackson Pollock "invented" the technique.

Other artists mentioned in this episode:

⁠Jackson Pollock⁠

⁠Alexander Calder⁠

⁠Norman Rockwell⁠

⁠Roy Lichtenstein⁠

⁠Georgia O'Keeffe

This is an encore presentation. Every January/February, I release daily episodes to refresh everyone's memory on the 64 artists and artworks that will be included in my Arts Madness Tournament held in March. While most of these daily episodes will be reruns, I will continue publishing new episodes on Mondays. 

Check out my other podcasts  Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The brilliance of Edward Hopper is that he was able to be simultaneously specific and concrete yet vague and leave a lot up to the viewer to interpret. In a painting like Nighthawks we see people gathered in a diner, but as viewers we are stuck on the outside looking in. We feel isolated and apart from the scene and as we look closer, we discover that the people inside the diner are isolated themselves. It is not a group of four inside the space but rather a collection of four individuals.

My guest for this episode was Julie Averbach, the founder of ⁠smARTee⁠, a non-profit that helps people feel connected and continue their lifelong learning via free virtual museum tours. She is also the author of the upcoming book, The Art of Trader Joe's (⁠https://theartoftraderjoes.com⁠) which helps readers appreciate the subtle brilliance of the grocery chain. ⁠Buy the book on Amazon⁠ or at your local bookstore.

This is an encore presentation. Every January/February, I release daily episodes to refresh everyone's memory on the 64 artists and artworks that will be included in my Arts Madness Tournament held in March. While most of these daily episodes will be reruns, I will continue publishing new episodes on Mondays. 

Check out my other podcasts  Fun Facts Daily | Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab

Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices