Unexpectedly astonishing

This was recommended to me by my tutor on the OCA painting degree because, looking at a photo of the Ninth Street, New York School of Art, I thought it wasn't a school so much as a bunch of like-minded men who spent a lot of time in bars and cafes and I asked where all the women were. I wasn't looking forward to reading it and when I saw that the Audible version was 39 hours long, I really wasn't looking forward to having it pinning my ears back for such a very very long time. It looked endless.

So now I'm eating the hat I haven't got because while this is very definitely art focused, that's essentially the vehicle for an understanding of the politics, the place of women, and the life styles of people like them and the ones around them from the early 1900s to the death of the last surviving woman artist of the group in 2011.

They lived every kind of life; rich and poor, drunk and sober, drugged and clean. They were promiscuous and adventurous; they travelled, they saw wars and some of the men fought in them. Lives of excess and of near starvation.

Critically, and running through all of this is the recurring theme of whether women could be artists at all, never mind good ones, world-leading ones, or innovators. So often they were subjugated to their partners - the likes of Jackson Pollock and Bill de Kooning - and denied exhibitions in their own right. But they were also fighters; women who kept going against the odds, often picking up their drunken, debilitated men folk at the same time and propping them up long enough to make another painting. It reads as an exotic time; unique and with all the flamboyance of youth that never quite died even as they did.

My impression of this book, and my engagement with it is influenced hugely by the narrator, Lisa Stathoplos, whose style carries drama without acting, gives life without over-blowing things, and never over or under emphasises any phrase, word, or even syllable.

I know more now about this period of time, its social and political context, than I ever would have discovered or had any drive to discover otherwise. So art or no art, it was a revelation. I suspect those of us born later than these women might have thought we were the first to be feisty and to start breaking into men's worlds with challenges about equality, but these women were doing that without a voice, without a movement, without even a word - feminism - to bind them to each other. Gregarious party animals as they all seemed to be, at root they were all insular when it came to doing what drove them most - their art. I'm very glad to have had this book nudged in my direction and more than happy to nudge it in yours.

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4 people found this helpful

An gem that goes far beyond its title

Where to begin? with an understated cover and a title meant to appeal to contemporary feminism, had I seen the length of the book before purchasing it, I would probably not have dared.
It took me 2 winters, on and off, to get through war & peace, despite its geniality; I listened to 'Ninth Street Women' in basically 1 month.
This is how History should be told: through multiple characters that cross each other's paths; describing their lifestyle and thoughts in such a vivid way one can imagine sitting at the table with them; and criss-crossing story plots with major world events in a way both become more alive than ever before.
This story is the one of an artistic movement: abstract expressionism; all the major male artists are mentioned, but for once they are not the center: Gabriel's in-depth telling of the events is one centered around the often forgotten women who, at the time, painted, lived and exhibited in an EQUAL footing to their male contemporaries. Beautifully woven into the story is the ever-changing role and perception of women during the 20th Century - all, from feminist waves to the objectification of their bodies and negation of their minds - serving the greater good of political strategies.
Maybe Gabriel tried to include too much: endless side stories and interesting facts, but the moments are rare when the book wasn't engaging enough to make me press pause and research the various pieces and poems mentioned, rather than wishing she got on with the major plot.

On the down side is the audio: there seem to be two different recordings of the book and a very random editing at points. In one of the recordings, the narrator is lively and engaging - luckily this is the case in about 90% of the book - while in the other the voice is sluggish and monotone. Strange.
It is also worth mentioning - to any one who might be able to change it - that a random part of the last chapter is currently being repeated after the credits.

Voice editing aside, I found the book should be worth at least 2 credits.

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Fascinating!

The narration was good. The story is clearly written, impeccably researched and thoroughly informative! I fully recommend this book to anyone interested in the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 20th Century.

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Fascinating, in depth and informative

An incredible in depth exploration of the women from the new york school of post war abstract expressionism.

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V v inspiring.

I listened as I worked in my studio. Inspiring and just to see these five women claiming their spots in art history.
The book is great but the audio a bit rubbish, still worth the purchase though.

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1 person found this helpful

Much improved audio

I first got this about a year ago but had to return it as the audio was awful. I’m glad to report the audio has been improved and I am enjoying this book. Recommended if you want to learn more about the hitherto ignored role of women in modern art.

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A must listen to for artists

This is an excellent book. I was captivated throughout. The narrator sensitively brought the text to life. As an artist I found it fascinating and having known some of the work of tug wse artists it's wonderful to discover how intertwined their lives were.

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Super inspired

Im about 7 hours in, and its exactly what I need to hear as an artist right now. The accounts of artists lives through war and the great challenges of their era is timely and greatly supportive as we enter an uncertain era of our own. Plus fascinating insights into the intricacies of lives behind this work i have long adored.
I find the narration easy to listen to and am enjoying it on audio contrary to other reviewers. Highly recommended.

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1 person found this helpful

Poor narration

The breathless, soothing reading came across as an attempt to give some false excitement to a boring story. She sounds like she’s trying to smile during her reading to make it cheerful. Her emphasis on the wrong words in a sentence was distracting.

I was worried from the beginning that the writer wasn’t very serious when she said the story she had found out was so amazing it blew her mind so she had to write a book about it, and then she said she waited 20 years to begin.

But it covers an important part of art history so I persevered for a while. I gave up because of both the reader and the cliche-filled, gossipy, confusingly written text. I may go back.

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1 person found this helpful