Helen Molesworth on Alice Neel

The Great Women Artists

Katy Hessel

Arts

4.8 • 944 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2020

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In Episode 23 of The Great Women Artists Podcast, Katy Hessel interviews one of the world's GREATEST writers and curators, Helen Molesworth on ALICE NEEL !!! The most exceptional portrait painter to ever life, and in my opinion, the most pioneering artist there ever was, Alice Neel was a visionary. Born as early as 1900 and based in NYC for her entire adulthood, Neel's life corresponded with the 20th century, which saw her live through political events, as well as a multitude of art movements and styles. Painting her portraits in her signature thick blue and black outlines; scrutinising her sitter in every way; capturing the essence of the encounter; and owning her subject, Neel remained continuously loyal to her painterly style throughout the course of her six-decade-plus career. Capturing art world stars such as Andy Warhol, to her cleaner Carmen and landlord's son, Benjamin, Alice Neel painted the world and community she surrounded herself, first in Harlem, and then on the Upper West Side. Dubbed 'a collector of souls' she painted people how she saw them: frank, honest, expressive, and truthful. And then there are her revolutionary paintings of the nude: from sexualised portrayals of men to protruding pregnant women. WOW. Was she groundbreaking. It was completely amazing to interview the genius Helen Molesworth, who is SO insightful on the life and work of Alice Neel. One of the most fun episodes I have ever recorded, we deep dive into Neel discussing her take on men, her encounters, and what her art means for the history of art. Further reading/watching: Helen Molesworth at David Zwirner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aULGfEQZPUA Essay by Helen Molesworth: https://www.davidzwirner.com/exhibitions/freedom-0 Hilton Als curated show, Uptown, at Victoria Miro: https://www.victoria-miro.com/exhibitions/506/ Thank you for listening!! This episode is sponsored by Alighieri https://alighieri.co.uk/ @alighieri_jewellery Enjoy 10% off using the code TGWA! Follow us: Katy Hessel: @thegreatwomenartists / @katy.hessel Sound editing by Amber Miller (@amber_m.iller) Artwork by @thisisaliceskinner Music by Ben Wetherfield https://www.thegreatwomenartists.com/

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hello and welcome back to the Great Women Artists podcast.
0:05.0	I hope you are all doing well.
0:07.0	I am really delighted that this episode is supported by one of my favourite jewellery
0:13.0	during this difficult time, Aligieri will be donating 20% of website sales to the Trussle Trust,
0:21.7	who are supporting food banks around the UK.
0:25.3	Alighieri is also offering 10% off for great women artists podcast listeners
0:30.6	with the code TGWA.
0:34.5	Here are a few words from their founder, Rosh Matani,
0:39.9	and I hope you enjoy this episode.
0:49.3	To course over better waters, little bark of my wit now lifts her sails, leaving behind her so cruel a sea, and I will sing of that second kingdom where the human spirit is purged and becomes fit to ascend.
0:57.0	But here let poetry rise again from the dead.
1:00.0	O holy muses, since I am yours, and here let Keliope rise up for a while and accompany my song with that strain
1:09.0	that smoke the ears of the wretched pies
1:11.6	so that they are despaired of pardon.
1:13.6	In the first cantois of Purgatorio, Dante emerges from the cone of the infernal
1:19.6	to see light for the first time.
1:22.6	It's the moment where hope returns and there is music and poetry again.
1:28.6	He calls upon the muse of poetry Kaliope and the Kaliope fresh pearl water necklace
1:34.1	takes its inspiration from this moment with jiggity jaggedy imperfect pearls
1:39.6	representing the fact that hope is always on the horizon.
1:49.4	Music representing the fact that hope is always on the horizon. Hello everyone and welcome to The Great Women Artist podcast with me, Katie Hessel.
1:55.6	Some of you might know me from The Great Women Artists, an Instagram account I set up in
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Katy Hessel, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Katy Hessel and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.