Prudence Peiffer's "The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever"
Aug 25, 2023
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Writer, editor, and art historian Prudence Peiffer discusses her book on the artists who lived on Coenties Slip in NYC, exploring their connections, collaboration, and the impact of their surroundings. Also, Andrew Leland recommends the book 'Darryl' for its poetic style.
The unique living and studio space offered by Coente Slip provided a supportive and inspiring environment for artists, influencing their creative processes and artistic growth.
The sense of community and collaboration among the artists living on Coente Slip fostered mutual influence, support, and the sharing of ideas, challenging the notion of art as a solitary pursuit.
Deep dives
The Unique Street and Artists of Coente Slip
The podcast episode explores the history and significance of Coente Slip, a street in New York City that was home to a group of influential artists in the late 1950s to mid-1960s. Despite its obscurity, Coente Slip played a crucial role in the development of post-war American art. Artists like Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Indiana, Agnes Martin, James Rosenquist, and Jack Youngerman, along with his wife Delphine Sariq, found a sense of collective solitude and inspiration in this unconventional living and working space. The book by Prudence Pfeiffer, discussed in the episode, highlights how the community and environment of Coente Slip influenced the artists' creativity and supported their artistic growth.
The Influence of Place on Artistic Work
The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of place and its influence on artistic development. Coente Slip provided a unique environment for the artists to live, work, and interact with each other. The physical space, the former sale-making factories turned living and studio spaces, had a significant impact on their creative processes. The artists were able to afford larger apartments and had the freedom to experiment and push boundaries, often using materials readily available in the neighborhood. The geographic location of Coente Slip also played a role, connecting the artists to the history and energy of New York City, while offering a space removed from the typical art world hubs. The episode suggests that the physical and social environment of Coente Slip fostered collaboration, support, and the sharing of ideas among the artists.
Interconnectedness and Mutual Influence Among the Artists
The podcast episode highlights the interconnectedness and mutual influence among the artists living on Coente Slip. Despite their artistic differences and lack of a formal artistic movement, the artists discovered a sense of community and supported each other's creative endeavors. They formed relationships based on collaboration, sharing ideas, and offering critical feedback. The book by Prudence Pfeiffer explores the relationships between the artists, shedding light on the way they nurtured and influenced each other's artistic growth. It challenges the notion of art as a solitary pursuit and emphasizes the importance of artistic camaraderie and support within a creative community. The episode suggests that the collective presence and support of artists on Coente Slip played a significant role in their individual success and artistic development.
The Legacy of Coente Slip and the Artists' Impact
The podcast episode discusses the lasting impact of the artists and their time on Coente Slip. While the living and working community on the street was short-lived, the artistic achievements and influence of the artists have endured. Several of the artists, such as Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Indiana, Agnes Martin, and James Rosenquist, went on to become prominent figures in American art. Their innovative and diverse artistic approaches challenged traditional boundaries and influenced subsequent art movements. The episode suggests that the artists' time on Coente Slip not only shaped their individual artistic trajectories but also contributed to the broader art historical narrative of post-war American art.
Writer, editor, and art historian Prudence Peiffer joins Kate Wolf to speak about her first book, The Slip: The New York City Street That Changed American Art Forever. The book is a group biography of a collection of luminous American artists including Agnes Martin, Ellsworth Kelly, Robert Indiana, James Rosenquist and Jack Youngerman, as well as his wife, the French actress and filmmaker, Delphine Seyrig. From the late 1950s to the middle of the 1960s, all of them happened to live in the same place: a collection of former sail-making warehouses on Coenties Slip, a dead end street in one of the oldest sections of Manhattan, right next to the river. Rather than jostle their work into well-established art historical movements and categories, Peiffer’s book asserts place as the generative frame from which to understand these artists and the connections and influence between them. Though the community was short-lived, their support of one another, the collective solitude they found, even their rivalry, takes shape as integral to their development, and at least one of the reasons that their work survives today. Also, Andrew Leland, author of The Country of the Blind, returns to recommend Darryl by Jackie Ess.
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