Agnes Martin and me

de Donald Woodman

One of the outstanding artists of the 20th century, Agnes Martin created ethereal abstractions while living almost as a hermit in New Mexico and issuing Zen-like pronouncements about her art. Photographer Donald Woodman, who shared her property (which he owned) and her life for seven rollercoaster years, takes us behind that legend in this affectionate and respectful, unvarnished and candid account to reveal an exasperating, troubled, earthy, but brave and determined painter. At the heart of the memoir is a surreal journey with Martin down Canada's Mackenzie River, toward the Arctic, which her 'voices' instructed her to undertake. Illustrated by Woodman's photographs, this book adds a crucial dimension to the Martin story and is destined to become a small classic of art biography.