Arshile Gorky, Goats On The Roof

A Life In Letters and Documents

Matthew Spender

This massive biography accompanies a major new exhibition of the work of Armenian-born painter Arshile Gorky (1904-1948), who is increasingly considered an important influence on the development of abstract expressionism. The book tells his story through many voices: his letters, sent and received; the correspondence of family and friends; pivotal reviews and criticism; newspaper articles and other essential documents. From Gorky’s turbulent childhood fleeing the Armenian genocide in Turkey, to his adulthood in the United States, to his suicide in his forties after a traumatic series of physical and emotional setbacks, this biography offers an intimate window into the artist’s life.

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