Agnes Martin: Her Life and Art Hardcover – June 16, 2015

Ms. Princenthal has written a detailed and fascinating book that presents a balanced and sensitive telling of the difficult, troubled, and immensely productive and meaningful life of Agnes Martin, one of America's finest artists. I highly recommend this book to all who want to learn more about Martin's life and art.I would have rated the book 5 stars except for an error that bothered me. On page 63 reference is made to "Aline Porter, a friend of Parsons (and wife of composer Eliot Porter)." Eliot Porter was a Harvard educated medical doctor who went on to become a highly respected photographer. He was not a composer of music. This was probably an isolated error, but it leaves one with the nagging suspicion there may be others.

I have always liked Martin's paintings-but I never knew much about her. She was clearly a very private and odd woman. Now I know why-she was a paranoid schizophrenic, in treatment most of her life. Even with this illness, she lived and participated in the world, teaching, painting and socializing with her peers like Ad Reinhardt and Philip Guston. She was in the world and yet not in the world. And that is reflected in her work-which perhaps accounts for its careful, sensitive and detached manner. Unfortunately this biography, perhaps due to Martin's own secretive nature, doesn't bring her to life. She remains an enigma which I believe is what Martin probably wanted. So I give this biography an "okay" but not more.

This is an excellent introduction to the life, practice, and times of Agnes Martin written by someone who clearly cherishes her subject.As the author points out it is curtailed by Agnes' requested silence on the part of many of her friends and colleagues, but Princenthal fleshes things out nicely from Agnes' talks, writings, and others' written record. A distraction (for me) are lengthily descriptions of work where an illustration would easily do.

A rather slow, steady and at times tedious read. Not enticing "storytelling" but I'm sticking with it because she's an artistI respect. Taking reading breaks with other more entertaining materials, simultaneously. Rather hoped for more imagerywithin the book.

It's long but well written - not always easy to tell what year.

This artist's images are so subtle and sublime that they must be seen in their original state to be understood and appreciated, but this book does as fine a job as possible towards elucidating their qualities and significance.

Slow read but a fascinating life.

One of the best biographies of an artist that I have read. The author took a difficult subject who did difficult art and gave us a warm, insightful, and critical understanding of the artist and her art. I think Agnes would have approved!

Fabulous book. Interesting read and book ‘feels’ lovely in the hands.

Pleased

Fabulous account of a very talented women- incredible minimalist artist.

Great book on the life of a great artist. Thank you Nancy Princenthal.

Not the best of read. The author should have done a lot lot better in taking up writing the biography of such a wonderful artist. I don't mean that the story needs to better, because it is a biography and it is life; the writing is just poor and haphazard.