Willem de Kooning

At a time when artists were living in poverty with no hopes of selling work, de Kooning was working hard on some of the most unique abstract and figurative paintings. Heavily influenced by artists like Joan Miro, Picasso, and even the close friend Archile Gorky, De Kooning created paintings that are both bold and immensely personal. For him painting was a language to be deciphered and studied in depth.

Clam Diggers, painted in 1963 is an example of a middle period De Kooning. The color is fresh and playful compared to the women of the 1950s. De Kooning paints with a complexity of line work and shape, constructing form with the physicality of the paint. The Clam Diggers as a result, look as if they are made of water with their undulating wave like topography. Neither figure in the composition interacts with the other in a literal sense, instead they effect one another spatially. In the crowded composition, these powerful forms create a feeling of imposition. A frontal composition adds to the confrontation, forcing the viewer to indulge the figures and their gushing womanliness head on. Mark making within the painting is also descriptive of crashing waves that are reminiscent of an orgasmic release. The evocative nature of the paint handling is one of De Kooning’s strengths, he adds a personality and descriptiveness indirectly with the quality of the paint. Focusing on the fundamental principles in painting, like line, shape, or composition, De Kooning manipulates the presentation of ideas on a basic level. He is thus capable of adding a psychological dimension to the content by balancing literal and indirect methods of description.

The difference with the Clam Diggers compared to the 50s “Women” is that these are a little more accessible. They are still just as evocative of sex without the jarring, emotional complexity. When looking at Clam Diggers, it helps to think that De Kooning once said he wanted his paintings to look like they were reflections in water. It reminded him of his youth in Rotterdam, when he went to the pier to look into the water. That is an intriguing element in his work, how an experience from childhood can directly effect how he chose to render form fifty years later and beyond. It is that personal level in his paintings, that has people still amazed over the formal thought process.