It’s so incredible to think that an artist of such talent and importance is only now having her first solo show at a European institution! Luckily the Whitechapel Gallery has a big exhibition of her work on now and I got around to going this weekend. It’s a must-see and on leaving I really wanted a keepsake but sadly the shop had sold out of catalogues. Instead I consoled myself with this mesmerising silent film of Alice at work online at Nowness.com.
Alice Neel In Action 1969
Filmed by her son Hartley whilst she was in the process of painting a portrait of his wife, you get the feeling of her intense concentration and dedication to making the work. For just a taste of how prolific Neel was during her seventy-year career have a look through the online gallery on the official Alice Neel website. There you’ll see the real breadth of her subjects; she painted strangers, beggars and children as well as famous artists like Richard Smithson and Andy Warhol whose portrait shows the grace and candour of both the artist and her sitter. Neel thought her paintings revealed the souls of her subjects but many believe they tell you quite a bit about her feelings too. This is what makes her work so moving and honest. Here’s my favourite example:
The Soyer Brothers 1973, © Estate of Alice Neel
Starting out in the 1920s and forging a career as a professional female artist can’t have been easy. Neel’s passion and confidence in what she was doing is admirable; more so once you uncover the details and complexities of her personal life including a bitter ex-partner and a mental breakdown. But it’s her influence that can’t be denied (artists like Elizabeth Peyton spring to mind) and though this might be the first major exhibition of her work for sometime but I’ve an inkling a resurgence of interest in Alice Neel is just around the corner.
On until 17th September at the Whitechapel Gallery
