In the late 1950s, a Manhattan-born student walked away from an art history course at Barnard to a George Balanchine ballet practices at the legendary School of American Ballet at 82nd Street and Broadway. She soon began to make connections between the old-fashioned Russian ballet teachers who taught her “savage point class” and continually “strived for an abstract ideal,” albeit ruthlessly, and the expansive lines of Anthony Caro’s sculptures that strove for an arabesque. These rigorous dance studies formed the basis for the work of Karen Wilkin, the foremost critic and curator of 20th century modernism.
Of course, Balanchine’s presence was just one example of Wilkin collaborating with masters of the arts throughout her life. In this episode, she discusses the influence of her parents’ close friendships with prominent New York literary figures, from SJ Perelman to Ruth McKenney, and artists like Adolph Gottlieb. She tells us about a tour of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) with Kenneth Noland, where she consulted on the Triangle residence next to Helen Frankenthalerand attending the Spoleto Festival as composer Samuel Barber’s ‘beard’. Wilkin also reflects on the valuable lessons she’s learned from working with legendary critic Clement Greenberg over the years, though she doesn’t shy away from addressing his damaging mistreatment of women like herself.
She is the author of monographs on a litany of these artists, from Stuart Davis and David Smith to Georges Braque and Giorgio Morandi. She discusses her journey in art writing with editor-in-chief Hrag Vartanian, who was once her student at the University of Toronto and credits her with introducing her to the world of art criticism. Tune in to hear them discuss everything from the demise of MoMA to the masters of Canadian abstraction and Wilkin’s beloved herd of Maine Coon cats.
Subscribe to Hyperallergic on Apple podcastsand wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch the full video of the conversation with images of the artworks at YouTube.
