Death of an Artist
Death of an Artist is a narrative podcast that investigates the lives and deaths of artists. In its third season, journalists Leon Neyfakh and Alice Gregory explore the story of children's book author Petra Mathers and her husband Michael, who died by suicide together in 2024. Through intimate interviews with friends and family, the season examines why the couple chose to die and the impact of their final words on those left behind. Earlier seasons revisited the death of Ana Mendieta and the relationship between Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner.
Episodes
Introducing Death of an Artist Season 3: Petra Mathers and Her Michael
When Alice Gregory and Leon Neyfakh started building a library for their infant daughter, they stumbled across a name in an obituary that Alice recognized from her own childhood: celebrated children’s book author and illustrator Petra Mathers. Petra had died by suicide alongside her husband, Michael Mathers. Both were in their late 70s, seemingly happy and healthy. The details of Petra and M
Bonus: The Women on the Scene with Audrey Flack
Artist, musician and writer Audrey Flack shares her firsthand accounts of the downtown New York City art scene in the mid-twentieth-century and a song she and her band, The History of Art, wrote about Jackson Pollock. Flack passed away in June. For more about her life, see “Audrey Flack, Creator of Vibrant Photorealist Art, Dies at 93.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bonus: Krasner's Way with Eleanor Nairne
Katy speaks with Eleanor Nairne, who first introduced her to Lee Kranser’s work. Back in 2019, Nairne exhibited a groundbreaking retrospective of Lee Krasner’s work while she was senior curator at the Barbican Art Gallery in London. Today she is the Keith L. and Catherine Sacks Curator and Head of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In this episode, a dive into Krasner’s
Episode 6: A Phoenix From the Ashes
1956. New York City. After Pollock’s death, Krasner balances her new role as executor of his estate and her ambitions to continue making art.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 5: The Kiss of Death
1955. Upper West Side. Jackson Pollock seeks help from a psychotherapist practicing controversial methods.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 4: Jackson Pollock Inc.
1945. East Hampton. Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock start a new life in a farmhouse 100 miles east of New York City.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 3: The Collector
1942. Midtown. Peggy Guggenheim arrives, opens a gallery and gives hungry artists hope.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 2: Inner Rhythm
1936. Brooklyn. A young Lee Krasner leaves home and starts to create a kind of art America has never seen before.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 1: Crash
1956. Paris. An artist named Lee Krasner learns that her husband is dead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Death of an Artist Season 2: Krasner and Pollock
On May 17th, Death of an Artist returns with an all new season hosted by Katy Hessel about the woman who made the modern art world: Lee Krasner. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
An Epilogue: Live from A.I.R. Gallery
A live audience and curator Patricia Margarita Hernandez join Helen at the A.I.R. gallery in this epilogue to the series. The conversation moves from generational shifts in the artworld to Helen’s own Robin Hood fantasy – and ends with some pushback from an audience member who knew Ana.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Numbers
In the wake of the #metoo and Black Lives Matter movements, art museums began publicly touting their dedication to diversity. In this episode, we hear from two arts journalists about whether there are actually more artworks by women and people of color on the walls.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 6: The Reckoning
Today, Carl Andre lives in the same apartment where Ana fell to her death. Helen investigates and grapples with what his not guilty verdict means and chips away at the silence the art world has used to protect both Andre and itself. If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to subscribe to our email list.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy
Episode 5: The Silencing
Carl Andre is acquitted. Decades later, the art world remains divided about his innocence. In order to protect Carl, the art world maintained a strict separation between the art and the artist and used silence to preserve the status quo. But a few remain vocal. To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plus. I
Episode 4: The Genius Problem
Carl stands trial for the murder of Ana Mendieta. His defense ruthlessly attacks Ana, using her artwork against her, and rests heavily on his prestige in the art world. Helen reveals her personal connection to Carl Andre and his work, and how it changed her career. To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page in Apple Podcasts, or at pushkin.fm/plu
Episode 3: The Feminist Cabal
Ana’s art engaged with her identity as a Cuban female artist. She worked hard to be recognized in a world dominated by white men. After her death, Ana’s friends and family demand an investigation. Many of the most powerful members of the art world dismiss them as a “feminist cabal.” To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page in Apple Podcasts, or
Episode 2: What the Wall Label Doesn’t Tell You
Following Ana’s death, police take Carl in for questioning. He has scratches on his face. His story is inconsistent, yet he maintains his innocence. In this episode, we rewind and take a look back at Carl’s history and his relationship with Ana and try to understand what led to that night. To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page in Apple Podca
Episode 1: The Haunting
In 1980s Manhattan, a young Cuban artist named Ana Mendieta made a name for herself as a rising star in the art world. Her turbulent marriage to the older and well-established sculptor Carl Andre raised eyebrows. One September night, Carl called 911 in a panic. His wife, he said, “went out the window.” To hear the rest of Season 1 ad-free, sign up for Pushkin+ on the Death of an Artist show page
Introducing Death of an Artist: The Story of Ana Mendieta and Carl Andre
Coming Sept 23: For more than 35 years, accusations of murder shrouded one of the art world’s most storied couples: Was the famous sculptor Carl Andre involved in the death of his up-and-coming artist wife Ana Mendieta? Host Helen Molesworth revisits Mendieta’s death and the trial that followed, and interrogates both the silence and the protest that have accompanied this story ever since. To hear
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