Review
"...the anecdotal history of a period, as practiced by such authors as Stendhal or the Goncourt brothers in the nineteenth century, or, most notably, Valéry in the twentieth, whose anecdotes about Dégas have guided art historians ever since. Since most visual artists leave no written journals and are not notable letter writers, the testimony of intelligent friends is often essential. Edvard Lieber is not only intelligent, but also modest...he restores the elements that, in fact, made of certain artists figures worthy of the world's attention: their seriousness, intelligence, sensitivity, and more private preoccupations."
- Dore Ashton, Modern Painters
"Part memoir, part oral history going back to the artist's childhood, part documentation of the last phase of this premier abstract expressionist's career, and part compilation of digitally mastered photos...a who's who of the art world."
- Regina Weinreich, The New York Times
"It is a poignant tribute that, largely through photographs, provides us with an intimate glimpse into the working life of the artist during his final years. What I am referring to are Mr. Lieber's glowing, wonderfully vivid color reproductions of several of the last paintings of this preeminent Abstract Expressionist...they are nothing less than a revelation."
- Joe Le Sueur, The East Hampton Star
"Just as Samuel Johnson had his Boswell and August Rodin had Rilke, so does Willem de Kooning have Edvard Lieber...Arthur Danto, art critic for The Nation, said in a recent interview, "This is a wonderful book, very intimate."
- Chuck Anderson, The Long Island Advance
From the Inside Flap
This unique book, written and photographed by Edvard Lieber, who worked with the artists Willem and Elaine de Kooning in the 1980s, provides a rare opportunity to visit this remarkable couple in their own environment and to hear them tell anecdotes about their lives. By turns hilarious and insightful, the chronologically arranged stories both enrich and correct the published biographies of both artists, who were among the most important artistic figures of their generation and an integral part of the New York art scene. The author's intimate photographs of Willem de Kooning in his studio offer a visual counterpart to the text by showing the artist at work on the last great paintings of his career, demonstrating the extent of his creative genius to the end.
The de Koonings regale us with recollections of their early years, their paintings, their lives together and apart, their experiences at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, their parties in the Hamptons on Long Island, their apartments and studios, and-most interestingly-their friends, including Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, and many others of their lively circle. The author meticulously recorded and carefully researched each of the stories, making this book an invaluable reference for de Kooning scholars as well as an enjoyable experience for anyone interested in painters of the New York School in general and the de Koonings in particular.
About the Author
Edvard Lieber has appeared on three continents as a concert pianist, composer, and guest artist on numerous radio and television broadcasts; contemporaneously, from 1976-1982 he was a cinematographer on six European feature films. In 1983, he withdrew from the concert stage to create works in multiple art forms. His first independent film, Seven Portraits (1983, Willem de Kooning, Leonard Bernstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Tennessee Williams, Andy Warhol, John Cage, Liv Ullmann) was featured in seven international film festivals, including the 1984 Berlin International Film Festival, 1984 São Paulo International Film Festival, and 1985 Taipei International Film Festival.
He was Willem de Kooning's secretary and curator from 1987-89, and co-executor of Elaine de Kooning's estate. Willem de Kooning: Reflections in the Studio (Harry N. Abrams, 2000), a souvenir of their friendship, featured the de Koonings' own words with ninety-eight of Lieber's photographs, including the last professional photographs of Willem de Kooning at work. Music to Paintings, the CD released in 1996 by Concord Concerto, comprises all of Lieber's musical compositions inspired by contemporary paintings. As an educator, he created and taught two interdisciplinary courses correlating nine art forms with music as the cohesive element, at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, from 1978-2008.
